The Gateway
by TheChromeDog
Summary: Crossover of Storm Hawks and Dragon Booster! Aerrow, while fighting the Dark Ace, accidentally hits a mysterious weapon, triggering it to hit him. What will happen to our beloved Sky Knight? Rated T for saftey. -Now Finished-
1. Chapter 1

Here is my first chapter of a dragon booster and storm hawks crossover!!

And I am NOT the only author for this. This was made by Nakedmolerat05 (me) and Tempest Hawk (my plot writer). He made the skeleton, I just gave it some muscle -

There is another story with the same crossover (see Storm Dragons, by Dragon Eye Girl), but they are NOTHING alike. Seriously.

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Storm Hawks or Dragon Booster!

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The Condor drifted through the clear blue sky towards its destination.

_We must be getting close,_ Aerrow thought to himself as he looked out his bedroom window._ We've been traveling for hours now! _

He flopped onto his bed, and pulled out a small grey medallion from under his shirt.

"_Daddy! Come on," an eight-year-old Aerrow called out from his backyard picnic table._

"_Don't worry squirt, I'm coming!" _

_It was Aerrow's eighth birthday, and his father, Leo, threw a birthday party for him. All of his friends were there. Since Aerrow's mom died when he was four, Leo had to take over both sides of parenting. _

_He ran outside with two boxes. One was small, about the size of a watch box. The other was considerably big, but light for its size. He set them on their back yard picnic table along with all the other presents from his friends and family. _

"_Okay Aerrow. You can open them now." He smiled as his overly excited son took a wrapped package and looked at the tag attached to it._

"_It says: To Aerrow, from Piper!" His blue-haired best friend smiled as he ripped apart the purple wrapping paper. As he took the last of it off, a bright yellow glow burst out of a small crystal. _

"_It's a solaris crystal! My dad said that they can power anything, as long as there's sunlight in the sky!" Piper said as Aerrow picked it up and examined its beautiful glow. _

"_Awesome! Thank you Piper!"_

_He opened the rest of his presents and with each one, gained a bigger smile. Finn gave him a wooden sword set, Junko gave him a remote-control mini skimmer, and Stork gave him some sort of shoe-bottom that supposedly would keep him from falling. Now, it was time to open his dad's presents._

_He took the small box and tore off the wrapping paper. Inside was a beautiful grey medallion in the shape of a hawk. _

"_What's this dad?" he asked as he took it out of its box._

"_It's a luck medallion in the shape of the Storm Hawks symbol. You always said you were going to join the storm hawks, or start your own storm hawks squadron. This will give you good luck in doing so. Now, open the other gift!"_

_Aerrow strung the medallion around his neck and started to rip open the other gift, only to jump ten feet in the air as a small grey-blue ferret-thing jumped out at him as he lifted open the top. He laughed as it started sniffing him over. _

"_You've always said you wanted a dog, but I found this little guy in the tree over there just a few days ago. I figured he would make a great friend," Leo said with a laugh as he watched his son play with the little animal. "He could also make a good co-pilot some day!" Aerrow loved how his dad believed in him so much. He looked at the ferret-thing and decided to name him._

"_I'm gonna call him Radarr, because his ears look like they're little radar antennas!"_

_They all laughed as the newly-named Radarr scurried over the table, jumping onto Finn's head._

He snapped back into reality as he heard a knock on the door. "Aerrow? Aerrow, are you all right?" Piper asked from outside his room.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he called. He tucked his medallion underneath his shirt and walked out into the hallway. "Did we reach the dig site?"

Piper nodded. "Everyone is ready to go when you are." They headed into the garage and mounted their rides. "Remember guys, this machine is thought to be a weapon, so be careful with it. It could still hold a charge," Piper reminded them.

"Okay Storm Hawks, let's ride!" Aerrow called out, and with that, they headed off into the Cyclonian dig. 

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At the dig

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The Storm Hawks flew through the air towards the oncoming cyclonian guards, lead by the Dark Aces himself.

"I'll take the Dark Ace, you guys take the rest!" Aerrow called out over all the noise. Finn gave him a thumbs-up and headed with the others towards the cyclonians.

"Why Aerrow, what a pleasant surprise," Dark Ace called out in a mocking tone as he switched on his blade, giving it a red, demonic glow.

"Dark Ace," Aerrow called back, as if acknowledging that he was there. He, too, lit up his blades, giving the metal a bright blue color. Without another word, they clashed their blades together, and started the battle.

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A few hours into the battle

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Piper, Junko, and Finn had all managed to take out just about all the talons that had come after them, but they still had a few left to take care of.

Aerrow, on the other hand, was having no luck in defeating the Dark Ace. Though he had used his lightning claw move a few times, he still couldn't get at the cyclonian champion.

"You seem to have gotten better…" Dark Ace sneered as he started towards the red-head once more. "…but I'm afraid 'better' isn't enough!" With that, he sent a red flaming energy blast towards the teen, but he ducked his skimmer out of the way just in time. Instead of hitting Aerrow, it hit the mysterious machine. A low humming noise filled the air as it lit up. Its narrow firing end started to move to the closest target, which just so happened to be Aerrow.

"Uh oh," were the last two words that escaped his mouth before he was zapped by a bright grey energy beam. And with that, he vanished. The only sound that was heard was his teammates' gasps and yells.

The Dark Ace ginned and motioned for his talons to head back with him.

"Leave them," he started, "without their leader, they don't stand a chance."

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Heh, sorry for no fight scene. I stink at em xP

Please R&R! Criticism is welcome, but no flamers please.


	2. Chapter 2

Second Chappie! Yay!

As I said in the first chappie's Author Note, I'm not the only writer here! It's me, nmr05, and Tempest Hawk! He's an awesome plot writer

Disclaimer: Neither I nor Tempest Hawk own Storm Hawks or Dragon Booster. If I'm not mistaken, Nerd Corps does.

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Piper sat in her room, her eyes red from crying. She looked at the picture she clutched in her hands, and another silvery tear trickled its way off her cheek. It was of her and Aerrow on Tropica. They had just gotten out of the ocean, running away from a water-balloon-armed Finn.

_But now, _She sullenly thought to herself, _now I'll never be able to see him again. Not on Tropica, not on Blizzaris, not even on Atmosia. Not ever again. _

All the Storm Hawks were grave, but Piper was down-right inconsolable. She had been sitting in her room for the past four hours and hadn't spoken to anyone. Not even Stork. Finn had knocked on her door, trying to get her to come out, but he made no avail.

She heard someone outside her door, followed by a soft knock.

"Finn! I said go away!" She called out.

"Piper…" She immediately recognized the voice.

"Starling? Please, I want to be left alone."

"Please Piper, its important!" The teen was about to say something, but was left stunned at what Starling said next. "Piper, Aerrow may still be alive."

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"Last one to the end of the wastelands is a yellow-bellied Newt!" Artha called out as he, Lance, and Parm raced through the barren landscape.

"Aw, that's not fair! You have Parm's new level 3 boosting gear!"

"Lance, for all I know, this gear could blow up the minute Beau activates it!"

"I heard that! And remember, you have to try that gear out. It could help you a lot in the up-coming races," Parm called out.

"Ha, sorry professor Parmesan. Don't worry, I'll try this gear out, but, just as soon as Beau has enough room to run that fast with_out_ crashing into anything."

A huge grey flash of light came from about a mile into the wastelands.

"Um, Artha...?" Lance looked towards his brother as Fracshun slid to a stop.

"Huh, my scanners don't show anything there. What do you suppose that was?" Parm asked as Cyrano, too, slid to a stop.

"I don't know, but maybe we should check it out. It could be the shadow booster."

"Well, we should probably split up if we're gonna find whatever that was. I don't know about you guys, but I have no idea where whatever that thing would be," stated Lance.

"You have a point there. Parm, you go west. Lance, go east. I'll go north."

With that, the trio headed out to find this 'mysterious light'.

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Aerrow woke with a groan and immediately took in his surroundings.

_Grey, grey, and more grey. Where the heck am I?_

He slowly stood up, but stiffened as soon as he heard what sounded to be a whole lot of huge animals approaching toward his little spot. He looked around, desperately trying to find some sort of hiding place. He spotted a small crevice a few meters away and quickly ran for it, only to skid to a stop as a pair of huge red eyes appeared from its darkness.

The redhead's eyes grew wide as a huge purple beast came crawling out of the hole. He heard a growl from behind him, and he swung his head around only to find five more of the same animals staring him in the face. He was surrounded. Again, he desperately searched around, but this time, for a way out. The growls from the beasts grew larger and more menacing as they crept closer and closer.

His eyes locked onto a small outcropping of rock, just tall enough to be out of the beasts' reach, but short enough for him to easily climb onto. He ran towards it, a vital mistake seeing as one of the beast easily swung his huge paw into him. He fell to the ground, and everything went black.

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Dun dun duuunnn… xD

Please r&r! No flamers please.


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome to the Third chapter. This is a non-smoking area, so no flamers. Note that neither I nor my plot writer own Storm Hawks or Dragon Booster. Please turn off all cell phones or pagers. Enjoy the Show!

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Piper flung her door open and looked the sky knight in the eye.

"Wh-what did you just say?" she managed to stutter out.

"Piper, that machine wasn't a weapon. He could very well still be alive."

Piper stared at the Interceptor. "If it wasn't a weapon, then, what was it?"

"Come. I'll show you." 

She followed Starling out into the main room, and her gaze fell to a mess of books, charts, and the like. Finn, Junko, Radarr, and Stork all stopped what they were doing and looked at Piper. Starling motioned her to sit.

The purple haired woman sat down in the seat just across from Piper and pulled out a small book. She flipped through the pages until she came to a small section titled 'The History of Atmos'. She gave the book to Piper.

"Starling, isn't this book just a myth…" she began.

"Just read it."

Piper obeyed and read through the pages.

_There are many theories on how Atmos began: evolution of ancient life, radioactive material, and even aliens. But only one theory is the most thought through. This theory is the theory of The Gate. It contains the thoughts and ideas of Kirsten Urqhart. Urqhart was an Atmosian historian and archeologist. She came up with many ideas, but the most well know of them was the Gate theory._

_The Gate Theory (from the Diary of K. Urqhart) _

_Many, many years ago, when the terras were void of life, there was a small ripple of reality. Some call it a different dimension, some call it a different world, but I call it Dragon City._

_When I was studying the rock pattern of an ancient terra, a came across the fossil of some sort of monstrosity. I dug it out and sent it to my lab back on Terra Atmosia. When I traveled back, I spent hour after hour researching it. I couldn't find any record of this specimen anywhere, so I decided it was a new species. I named it Draco Ieiunium, meaning fast dragon. Judging by its long leg bones, it must have been a fast runner. It also looked somewhat related to lizards' bones, hence the dragon name I had given it. I put the bones in a friend of mine's storage unit. He was a paleontologist, so I knew they would probably be studied more. _

_I headed back to the terra of which I found the fossil on, and took a sonar scanner with me. I set it up about a mile away from the first Draco site. It sent a sonar beep about five feet into the ground and came up with nothing. I switched it to ten feet, and once again sent out a sonar beep. This time, it came up with something. I widen the sensors so I could see what it was, and to my suspicions, it was another fossil of Draco Ieiunium. My dig team and I carefully dug out the fossil and sent it back to my paleontologist friend. _

_We all kept this up for days, finding more and more fossils of this animal. Some had small front legs with huge back legs, while others looked much like the original specimen, with four equally sized long legs. _

_A few days into the search we found an archeologist's jackpot: an ancient city. Its walls were rusted, indicating that whoever built the structures used some sort of metal. Some of the buildings were missing walls, while others were in pretty good condition for their age. We searched around, and found it was very similar to our very own civilizations. I grew curios as to why there was no tools, no paintings, nothing that was similar to other ancient towns. It aroused suspicions and ideas._

_Though we all had our own little thoughts on why this town was so present-day, and yet showed to be over a millennium old, were put aside for the sake of science. After about three days of exploring the buildings, we finally came to the end of this city. To our surprise, there was a huge machine with crystals embedded into it. My team and I rush to it, and, obviously not our best decision, tried to pry out the crystals inside it. Unfortunately, the crystals still held a small charge. While prying one out, it exploded, triggering an avalanche of rocks to come tumbling down the near-by cliff face. My team and I had to make a run for it to save our own lives, and unfortunately, the avalanche destroyed the town and the machine. _

_At my time back at Atmosia, I pondered over the machine. Why was it there? What did the Draco Ieiunium have to do with it? _

_I put two and two together the night my team and I successfully dug out the machine and excavate a crystal. It was a terrene crystal. This machine wasn't just any old machine, it was a portal. _

_After studying this 'portal' for weeks, I and a few other scientists finally managed to turn it on. Some of our top students at the academy stepped forward to try it out. We turned it on and sent them through. Unfortunately they did not return. The project was never run again._

_I've been trying to figure out what went wrong, and what was on the other side of that portal. Eventually, I came up with a theory. This portal goes to a different world, or different dimension. Those who lived inside it came out to our world through it. That is probably where Draco Ieiunium came from also. So, I named this world 'Dragon City'. The people who came from this city are our ancestors. Though no one knows why there are no dragons in present-day Atmos, we have stuck with this theory, properly dubbed as The Gate Theory._

The book continued on, but Piper thought it would be best to stop there.

"You think that this 'thing' is the Gateway?"

"Well, what else could it be?"

Silence.

"I thought so," Starling concluded with a small smile. "If you saw, that thing was surrounded by rock, almost like an avalanche hit it. We can go back and-"

Starling was cut off by Stork's rant, "Go back?! To that cyclonian infested terra?! No way is this merb going! The Condor and I are staying right here on this nice, safe terra!"

Almost right on queue, a growl erupted from the forests that surrounded the parked Condor.

"Um, ahem, so maybe not a safe terra per say…but it's better than getting blasted by cyclonians!"

Piper sighed. "Stork, if you ever want me to make sand cakes again, you better step on it. Now."

Stork let out a small 'eep' before starting up the ship. A small jostle erupted throughout the ship as it took off.

"As I was saying," Starling began, shooting the merb a look, "we can go back and try out a 'test' of sorts."

This time, it was Finn's turn to step in. "Wait, 'test'? What do you mean by that?"

"Test as in sending through this little crystal." The Interceptor held up a small light blue crystal and tossed it to Piper.

"Wait a second, is this," Piper gazed at the beautiful crystal, "is this a resile crystal?"

"Sure is. You see, I've been studying the Gateway ever since I heard about Aerrow." The Storm Hawk's faces grew somewhat solemn after hearing their friend's name, but Starling continued on, "I figured out what went wrong with the students that ventured into the portal. They had no way of getting back." 

Feeling left out, Junko figured he would enter the conversation. "But wasn't there a machine thing on the other side too?"

"Not necessarily. They may have discovered this portal on accident. Therefore, this thing may not have destroyed the students, but captivated them inside its world. If we send the crystal through, being a resile crystal, it should bounce back."

"Wait, wait, wait. What's a resile crystal?" The blonde asked.

"It's like a crystal boomerang of sorts. If you throw it anywhere, it'll come back in about a minute or so. If we attach a photographic crystal of sorts, we could see what it's like there."

"Great idea Starling! Stork? How long until we reach the terra?" Piper asked, her mood somewhat brightened at the thought of being able to save Aerrow.

"About an hour or so away."

"Okay then. That'll give me just enough time to mold together this little baby," she held up the Resile crystal before going on, "with a photonic crystal."

She and Starling headed to her crystal lab as Stork put the Condor at full speed.

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Lance slowly worked his way around the wastelands, looking for whatever or whoever caused that flash of light. Honestly, he hoped he wouldn't find it.

Suddenly, he heard a series of growls and roars. Fracshun's slow pace turned to a canter. After a few minutes of running, they came upon a small opening. Fearfully, he peeked inside. A scratched up teen was lying crumpled in the middle.

Lance's eyes widened at the site. He flicked on his com link and two pictures sprang up; one of Artha, and the other of Parm.

"What's wrong Lance?" Artha asked, seeing his younger brother's face.

"Um, you guys might wanna get down here."

"Did you find what did that?" 

"No, but there's someone down here. And he needs help. Now."

With that, the com link flicked off.

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Yah, not my best work ever. I'm happy with my textbook paragraphs though! XD

Please R&R!

And remember, this is a non-smoking area, so no flamers.


	4. Chapter 4

Woot! Newest chappie! Read up and enjoy!

I, nor my plot writer, own Storm Hawks or Dragon Booster.

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Piper anxiously walked out onto the deck with a small draw-string bag hanging on her shoulder. The experiment had worked. The photonic crystal went through totally unscathed and successfully transferred a few images. They showed a barren and grey landscape, which discouraged them at first, but then they noticed an artificially lighted horizon: a city. Before they could see more, the crystal bounced back.

It was decided that someone should travel through it in hopes of finding they're red-headed leader. Being his closest friend, Piper immediately volunteered. She had packed a few pairs of clothes that had most closely related to those pictured in _The Gate Theory. _ Starling had managed to create a resile crystal with a trigger. This way, she and Aerrow could come back through the portal no matter when. They did, however, had to be at the same place, but she had a small flag to mark that spot.

Now all she had to worry about was getting there safely, and actually _finding_ Aerrow. The latter was better said than done. It had already been three weeks since the 'accident', and those twenty-one days had been spent studying and preparing.

She walked out on to the bridge where Starling, Junko, and Finn were gathered around a small book. Radarr was perched on Finn's shoulder, while Stork was at the helm, muttering words of doom and disaster. Seeing as the ship was parked, he really had nothing else to do.

"Hey Piper! You ready to go?" Junko called out enthusiastically as the girl walked over.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Starling? Did you find out anything else about this place?"

"Actually, yes. One thing is that, upon our researching, there's a distinct possibility that Aerrow lost his memory." Piper's face paled, but the Interceptor continued, "Hopefully he didn't, but considering the circumstances of his disappearance into the Gate…"she trailed off, leaving only one thought in their minds. _He lost his memory._ Trying to get off the subject, Starling continued telling the girl their consumed information. "This book holds a lot of helpful information." She held up the book they were all looking at. It was titled _Historical Findings: Dragon City_. "We read that these Draco Ieiunium were tamed and meant for riding, like an equestrian relationship."

"Yeah, which means you may come across some." Finn concluded.

Piper nervously laughed. "You mean, like, _live _ones?"

"Yes, live ones. But don't worry, it says here that humans and these dragons had a good relationship." Starling pointed to a paragraph in the book. "The people that lived there used them for racing. Eventually the dragons did rebel, but it also says they found peace between the two groups with the help of someone named the Dragon Booster. There were several more boosters, including some on the darker side, but the Dragon Booster was most credited for the truce."

The blue-haired girl just blinked, her complex mind trying to process what she just heard. "So, when I do get to this place, there's going to be these beasts there? That oughta be…interesting, to say the least." _Let alone if Aerrow lost his memory also…_She thought to herself.

Stork scoffed. "Yes, to say the least! For all we know, those _things_ weren't actually tamed, and when you get there, one will literally bite your head off! Meanwhile, we'll be sitting ducks out here waiting for you! Cyclonians will probably come and either kill us or enslave us for all eternity, and we will see nothing but DOOM!"

Everyone stared at the merb. "What?" he said. "It's true."

"You know, Stork, you have a valid point there." Starling said.

"He does?" Finn gulped.

"Yes he does. You all _are_ sitting ducks. This is a terra under cyclonian rule. Just because there aren't any cyclonians here now doesn't mean that there won't be any soon. I have no doubt the Dark Ace himself is coming over here right now to, well, you know…" She couldn't say what was all in their minds. _To come over here and finish us off. _ "Because of that, I'll stay and help you all until you and Aerrow come back."

Normally, Piper would literally be jumping off the walls if Starling were to stay with them. But because of the serious mood in the air, she just nodded in thanks.

There was a moment of silence.

Finally, someone spoke up. "Well, since Starling has the crystal gadget thing ready, I suppose you should get going, huh?" Finn said, trying to sound like his cheerful self.

Piper looked out the window. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Are you sure you want to do this Piper?" Starling asked, obviously concerned about the girl's sullen mood.

She nodded and muttered, "For Aerrow."

"Here," The purple haired woman gave her a small metal plate with the resile crystal embedded into it. On the back was a small button protected by a glass cube surrounding it so it wouldn't be accidentally activated. "Just activate it when you find Aerrow, and it'll port you and Aerrow back to this world. But be careful, cyclonians may be around when you do come back. And take this," she handed the Storm Hawk the _Historical Findings_ book, "it may come in handy."

She put the gizmo and book into her pack. "Well then," Piper said with a hint of a sigh, "I guess we best be going to the portal."

With that, Radarr, Junko, Starling, and Finn headed off to the site. Stork stayed behind to 'protect' the Condor.

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At the Gate Portal

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"Um, Starling?" Junko asked, looking from the machine to the Interceptor, "How do you turn this thing on?"

"Like this." She took out a small turquoise crystal from her pocket and pressed it into the middle of the circular pattern of similar crystals.

"Where did you…?" Finn started, but concluded with a "Never mind."

A low humming filled the air once again, similar to the one that was heard when Aerrow disappeared, but much more crisp and clear.

Slowly, a small, oval, blue-green portal appeared.

"I guess this is my stop." Piper simply said before waving good bye and setting foot into The Gate.

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With the Penn Crew and Aerrow

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Once again, Aerrow woke with a groan. This time, instead of being in a desolate place, he was in what appeared to be a tent of sorts. He leaned up into a sitting position and saw five people walk in: two boys and a girl that looked to be around his age, a young boy, and a man. _Please don't tell me these are the five people you meet in heaven_ he thought to himself.

"Hey! Look who's up," said the girl.

"Where am I?" He managed to say.

"The Penn Crew tent. You had quite a run-in with those hydrags." This time it was the man who was talking to him. It was then he noticed the bandaged scratches and gashed on his arms and face. A long linen bandage covered his chest.

The three other boys came walking up to him and helped him up of the cot he was placed on. "I'm Artha," started one of them, and then continued down the line, "this is Parm, Lance, Kitt, and my dad, Connor."

"I'm Aerrow. Thanks for helping me back there."

Connor's kind smile turned into distinct curiosity as he saw the medallion strung around Aerrow's neck.

"Where did you get that?" he asked. 

"My father gave it to me. He said it was a family heirloom, and a good luck charm. It's been passed down for generations."

"I see. There's a spare outfit in the drawer over there. I think you could do well with a fresh change of clothes. You four," He motioned to the four others, "I need to speak with you."

Aerrow shrugged and muttered, "Must have been something I said." With that, he went over to the drawer and pulled out an outfit.

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"Dad? What is it?" Artha inquired.

"That medallion. It's the medallion of the Sky Booster. Just like the medallion of the Dragon Booster, when placed in its brace, it gives the Sky Booster its power."

"What? So you're saying this guy's the Sky Booster?" Lance asked.

Parm scoffed. "But that's impossible. The Sky Booster left at the end of the Grey Draconium Empire. He's been since long gone."

"Actually, the Original Sky Booster disappeared, along with many others. It's rumored that they went to another place."

"Another place? What, as in a different world?" Kitt asked sarcastically.

"Yes, actually."

Everyone fell silent until Lance spoke up. "But, isn't that like _impossible_?"

"Not necessarily. There's much evidence comparing to it. It's a distinct possibility."

"So…what are you getting at?" Parm asked.

"Well, maybe Aerrow is the next generation of Sky Booster." 

"Even if he is, we should probably disregard it for now. At least until we know for sure." Artha concluded.

Connor sighed, but agreed with his son. "Yes, we should. Maybe we should let him stay for a bit too, to give him a nudge in the right direction."

"Like the tutoring program that's going on!" Kitt added.

They all agreed, and with that, headed back into the tent.

When they came back inside, Aerrow was just sitting on the small cot, dressed in white pants with blue stripes down the sides, and a blue shirt with a white stripe down the middle and down the sleeves.

"So, I see you found a good outfit. How about a good dragon also?" Connor asked.

"A what?"

They all stared at him blankly. "You mean you don't know what a dragon is?"

"Nope."

The five of them were speechless.

"Actually," he continued with a grimace, "I don't remember anything except my name, and for some reason, this medallion."

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Dun dun dun

Aerrow lost his memory.

That's not good.

Hope you liked it! Please R&R! But no flamers pweaze.


	5. Chapter 5

Lolz, I'm having fun writing this…xD

Disclaimer: How many times must I type these words?! I, nor Tempest Hawk, own Storm Hawks or Dragon booster. Nerd Corps does.

Important Message:

This chappie is dedicated to my plot writer, Tempest Hawk. It's his B-day on December 12th! Happy birthday!!!

Enjoy!

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A huge bolt let loose from a random dragon as Aerrow was sent flying into a pile of crates. The crew let out a chorus of 'Oh…'s. The red-head's hand shot out of the pile in thumb's up while a muffled "I'm okay," could be heard. Artha went over to help the teen up.

"Wasn't that like the twentieth dragon you've been magged from?" Lance asked with a humorous smile plastered on his face.

"Twenty-fourth." Aerrow replied, an equal smirk on his face.

Before they could say anything more, an olive colored dragon started to run rampage. Calls rang out from the teens as the dragon headed straight towards one person: Aerrow.

He tried to get out of the way, but he was cornered. The huge reptile came up to him, its headstrong eyes looking right into Aerrow's forest-green ones. It suddenly settled down and cocked its head at the teen.

"Woa there." Aerrow said quietly, and reached his hand out to pet the dragon's head. The minute he touched the beast, a light grew from its forehead in the exact shape of his medallion. He shielded his eyes from the bright grey light that emitted from the dragon. After a few seconds it faded away, and Aerrow laid his eyes on a hansom grey dragon with pale-blue lines in its sides.

"Woa," The teen managed to utter out at the sight of this thing. The others also stared in awe.

"He really is the Sky booster," Kitt whispered to the others.

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"So…you're saying that I'm this so called Sky Booster?" Aerrow asked.

"Yup" was the only reply from the group.

"And that dragon is the Grey Dragon of Legend?"

"Yup."

After the dragon situation, the others thought it would be a good time to tell Aerrow about his booster skills. At first he didn't believe them, but now, he was starting to.

"And I have to find this grey Draconium gauntlet to become the full Sky booster?"

"Yup."

"And Artha, well, he's the Dragon Booster?"

"Yup."

"Woa."

"Yeah, that's what I said when I found out I was the Dragon Booster," Artha muttered.

"So, where are we going to find this gauntlet?"

"Actually, I have a 'friend' who gave a map to me. It shows the location of the Temple of the Sky. It holds the gauntlet in the lower sanctuary."

"Rivitt actually gave it to you?" Parm whispered to the teen, unsure of Rivitt's loyalty.

"He said that he owed the Dragon Booster," he answered back with a shrug.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Aerrow said with his cocky smirk.

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The group came up to the entrance of the grey temple, found to be in the middle of the Wastelands of Loan. A shudder ran down Aerrow's spine as he peered into the huge gothic doors.

"You sure this is the place?" he asked, uncertainty showing in his voice. His mount, the Grey Dragon of Legend by the name of Raiden, rolled his reptilian eyes. He was back to his original color, the grey substituted by an olive green, and his blue side stripes replaced by a tan.

Over the time it took to reach the Temple of the Sky, the red-head had found the Raiden was very strong-headed the hard way, literally. He was magged off over a dozen times. After a while, Raiden let go and put his rebellion aside.

"Yes, the map clearly states that this is the right place," Parm replied.

"Plus it's the only place around here," Lance added.

"Well then," Artha started, "let's go find your gauntlet."

------------

Meanwhile, the Shadow Booster was watching the whole scene. He saw the Penn crew enter the temple with this newfound teen, and then evilly laughed to himself.

"Well, well, well. Looks like I'll get some practice in before sundown," he said quietly.

His mount jumped down with a thud, unknowingly being followed by three unseen dragons…

------------

The five entered the temple, running into cobwebs here and there. They eventually made it into the main sanctum.

"Where to from here, professor?" Kitt asked, looking around the huge domed room.

"According to the map, it should be…" He was cut off by a huge purple blast and evil laughter.

Another blast let out, knocking enough rock down to crush any dragon, let alone a person. The group scrambled away from the falling rock. Unfortunately, the Penn Crew got separated from Aerrow and Raiden.

"The Shadow Booster!" Lance called to his brother, already aware of the booster's presence.

"Go see if you can help Aerrow!" Artha called as he switched into his Booster gear, out of the Shadow Booster's sight of course.

-----------

"Looks like we're on our own, huh?" Aerrow asked gaping at the huge pile of rocks separating him and Raiden from the rest. The dragon just growled in response.

Suddenly, Parm's voice could be heard through the rock. It was muffled, but he could still make out what Parm was saying.

"Aerrow? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" he shouted back, trying to get his voice through the rock.

"We got the Shadow Booster. You go find the gauntlet!" This time, it was Kitt's voice.

"It's right beneath here, right?"

"Yes…but I don't get how…" Once again, Parm was cut off by a huge blast. But this time, it was muffled by the huge wall of fallen rock before him.

"Aerrow?!" he frantically called.

The red-head's laugh could be heard. "I'm fine Parm. Raiden was just smart enough to create a short cut!" With that, the pair head down into the hole Raiden had just created with a mag blast.

--------------

"This place is a bit creepy, huh?" the teen said, more to himself then Raiden. The hole they had crept into led to a small and dark passageway. They theorized that it led to the lower sanctuary.

Their little theory was proven true as they walked into a gaping room, a twenty-foot statue of the original Sky Booster standing proudly in the middle. An Energy was emitted from every block that created the room, almost as if to give into Aerrow and Raiden.

There was a small dragon-paw shaped imprint on the floor in front of the statue. Raiden calmly trotted over to it and laid his olive-green paw in it. A small marble pyramid rose from the stone ground. Its faces split apart and fell to the ground, revealing a grey gauntlet.

Awed at its glowing aura, Aerrow reached out to clutch it. But instead of grasping the object, his fingers traveled right through it. It was a hologram. The ground suddenly began to shake, and gave away within seconds after. With that, the pair fell into the depths of the temple...

------------

Raiden snorted as they got up. Aerrow immediately straightened as he caught sight of something. He looked at Raiden, who was equally alert. Apparently, he saw it too: shifting shadows.

A voice rang out from the darkness that surrounded them, "Don not be weary, I am on your side." It was familiar to the red head, but completely mysterious as well. It gave forth such a strength that Aerrow figured it was someone to show respect to.

"Who are you?" he asked, showing a bit of caution, but having a prepared stance.

"Many call me Aetos. I am the Dragon Priest of the Grey." Suddenly, the voice came with a body as a man dressed in grey and navy blue robes stepped into their view. "I believe you are Aerrow, descendent of the original Sky Booster?"

"Yes, sir. Raiden and I are looking for the Grey Gauntlet. Would you know where it is?"

"Indeed." Aetos said no more, but motioned for them to follow into the darkness.

They came upon another door, but this one was only a thick piece of wood. It was just tall enough for Raiden to be able duck under. They came into a large cavernous room. A huge, almost bottomless pit lay before them. A single platform floated in the middle.

The trio stopped. Aetos motioned to the platform.

"Um, not to disrespect you, but there's no gauntlet here." Aerrow said as if to point out the obvious.

"Are you so sure, young booster?"

Before the teen could reply, the single platform turned into two, then three. A gauntlet appeared on each of them, floating there, as if to taunt him.

"Only one is the real one. The others are merely fakes, just as the last one that sent you and Raiden down here. And they will also do the same trap."

Aerrow grimaced at the meaning: _Either you choose the right one, or…well, let's just say it's a long way down._

"And how am I supposed to figure out which is which?"

"Simple. Let the grey draconium guide you."

Aerrow gave the man an odd look, but instead of saying something, he tried to feel this 'energy' Aetos mentioned. He closed his emerald eyes and concentrated on the atmosphere around him. Suddenly, he could feel…something, almost like a cool lightning strike to the right of him. That's when it hit him: _The real gauntlet._

He opened his eyes and looked to his right, gazing at the shining brace. Aetos smiled. The red head mounted Raiden and asked his mount if he could jump that far. The dragon reluctantly trotted back a few steps before running to the edge of the pit. His long legs left the ground as he leaped towards the platform. His dragon paws landed with a thud.

Aerrow took a deep breath and closed his eyes before reaching out his hand, a bit nervous of what would happen if it was the wrong one…

He felt his hand touch a cool metal. Once again, his leaf-green eyes shot open. He had it. Raiden tried to act as if he didn't care, but his excitement could still be seen. The teen carefully slipped the gauntlet onto his wrist. It fit perfectly.

"Wonderful job Aerrow. Now, go help the Dragon Booster. He isn't fairing well against the Shadow Booster…" Aetos's voice slowly drifted away. Aerrow turned around, about to ask him a question, but the Dragon Priest was gone. Aetos's voice once again rang around the cavern: "Trust each other…" It disappeared.

"Okay. That was a bit anticlimactic. But we have the gauntlet, and now, we have to go help Artha and the others."

Raiden looked at the teen, but silently agreed. He leaped across the cavern once more, and pushed open the door with his paw. They climbed through the corridors until they came to the gaping hole that sent them down there.

"Well, how do we get back up now?" Aetos's words popped into his head. "Trust each other…" Aerrow said, as if to analyze the words. "Raiden? We're going to have to work together with this."

The dragon snorted then shook his head.

"Well, you're going to have to agree, because the only way out of here is if I change into the Sky Booster, and to do that, we have to work together and _trust each other._"

Raiden grunted, but he silently agreed.

"Okay then…here it goes." With that, Aerrow took out his medallion and clicked it into the gauntlet. A grey energy surrounded him, and various pieces of armor appeared. His hair turned a snowy white. His eyes became a bright, energetic blue. His head became adorned with a helmet, similar to the Dragon Booster's, but it had no top to it. This let his spiky hair be seen. His clothes were replaced with navy blue leather gear, and armor now was visible on his chest, shoulders, arms, legs, and feet. The grey energy slowly disappeared.

He was the Sky Booster.

Raiden had also changed. His olive green color was now, once again, a grey. His brown stripes also changed into the color of those of the Grey dragon of Legend with a navy blue.

A silence filled after. Aerrow finally broke it. "Okay…now what?"

Raiden suddenly perked up as a thought popped into his head. His reptilian body started to vibrate with grey mag energy.

"What are you…?" Aerrow started, but was cut off by shock as two mag energy wings jutted out from Raiden's sides.

The dragon quickly spread out his new found flight power and lunged toward the edge of the hole. His wings were found to be very powerful, seeing as he almost blew Aerrow right off of his saddle at the speed of which he was flying up. He reached the edge with ease, and let his mag wings disappear.

"Woa. Sweet!" Aerrow called out. Raiden just smirked. "Now, how about we go kick some Shadow Booster tail?"

With that, they headed off and up into the fight…

-------------

Artha and Beau defended themselves, once again, from the Shadow Booster's mag attack. They were running out of steam, and fast.

Suddenly, something caught the Shadow Booster's attention. He turned around, and switched his helm's visor to heat-censor. To his surprise, he found three wraith dragons behind him. "Well, well, well," he said, "Looks like I have backup."

He harnessed the black mag power that surrounded his armor and shot it out at the Wraith dragons. They instantly tried to evade it, but it was no use. They were hit, directly in their control-gear panels. "Dragons?" The Shadow Booster called out. The dragons immediately stood to attention. "Destroy the Dragon Booster." He pointed towards the heaving Artha and Beau.

The purple dragons raced towards them. But before they could reach them, the rock wall that had divided them from Aerrow blew apart. Hundreds of dragons flew out from the dust that had come from the hostile blow. The wraith dragons stiffened with fear and surprise, then fled out of the room.

"No!" The Shadow Booster called out as he saw his 'fun' plan run right out the door. Literally. He turned to face the hundreds of dragons charging toward him. He lifted up his jak stick, trying to keep them away from he and his dragon. But instead of veering off, they went straight through him. _Holograms_ he thought.

He faced his head to the dust that had yet to settle, and saw a figure, perched on a dragon, come walking out. He was adorned with grey armor and navy blue leather clothes.

"Need some help?" the figure called out.

"The Sky booster!" Lance said, a smile evident on his face.

"I guess pretty boy made it to the gauntlet," Kitt whispered, just out of the Shadow Booster's hearing range.

"Well, Sky Booster," the Shadow Booster spat, "Those tricks won't work on me. You should really save them for a kids' party."

"Ha ha. Very funny." Aerrow replied back. With that, the fight began.

The Shadow Booster lunged at him first. He leapt from his black boned dragon and charged at the Sky Booster, who narrowly dodged him. Aerrow, too, leapt from Raiden, but he was kept in the air by the dragon's mag burst.

Suddenly, a new, light blue energy surrounded him. Wings grew from his back for a split second as a bright blue blast lit from his finger tips and hit the Shadow booster squarely in the chest.

"That's new," Aerrow muttered.

His dragon magged him back onto its saddle.

"This isn't over, Sky booster," He wheezed before heading his dragon towards the door, and with that, he disappeared.

Calls and cheers rang out from the group as they came over to Aerrow. He switched out of his gear and mounted back onto Raiden.

"Nice job pretty boy," Kitt said as Artha came over and slapped him on the back.

"Yeah! Nice move that you did," he said as he too switched out of his armor.

"I agree! What was that?" Parm asked.

"For some reason, I think it's called the lightning claw…" Aerrow trailed off, trying to remember more, but failing miserably.

Seeing his frustration, Artha just let it go. "It's an awesome move. But instead of talking all evening, let's get back to the stables before it gets too dark to travel."

They all agreed, and with that, headed back for a good night's sleep.

--------

Ya'll like? I'm proud of my 8 pages! Was it too long? Too short? Pweaze tell me ;

And Piper will be focused on in the next chappie. Hope this one wasn't all too boring!

R and R pweaze! But no flamers. I like getting tan, but sun burnt? No thank you. (In other words I mean constructive criticism, but no saying 'This Sucks!' If you don't like it, don't read it.)  Danke.


	6. Chapter 6

Welcome to the sixth chappie.

Pweaze note that I won't be able to bring about any more chappies come this Sunday, (December…23rd, I believe?) seeing as I'll be on vacation to my grandparents house for the Holidays. So, unless I squeeze one more chappie into my schedule, I'll have to say this now: Happy Holidays! I'll bring my handy dandy notebook with me and work on the next chapters when I go though.

Also, this chappie is dedicated to Soldier4christ, just cause they're an awesome author!

There, now that that's done, onward!

---------------------------------------------------------------

Piper walked through to the other side of the Gate. Just as she thought, it looked exactly like what the crystal had relayed back: dark, desolate, and grey.

She looked around. To her right, she saw a lighted horizon. Unfortunately, she saw a pair of huge red eyes to her left. She gasped, and immediately took a battle stance, staff in hand. Suddenly, the eyes disappeared.

"That was weird…" she mumbled, then put her staff away. She whipped out an orange flag from her back pack and plunged it into the ground. The teen also pulled out a tracker crystal, a matching one embedded into a worn leather bracelet on her wrist. Swiftly, she attached it to the flag so she would be able to find it later on.

With that, she positioned her bag up higher on her shoulder and started her trek towards Dragon City…

-------------- -

Piper breathed an exclamation as she gaped at the huge city entrance before her. Even the largest terra on Atmos couldn't house such an enormous city.

As she walked in, her mouth dropped. Not only was this place huge, it was _layered._ She looked through the grated street; roads and paths layered over each other into complete darkness. A few streetlights lit the lowest streets like eerie stars in a black abyss. Even sun light couldn't light said streets.

She continued walking into the city, noticing the neon signs and billboards. _It looks just like any terra in Atmos, _Piper thought with a smirk, _even the language is the same as ours. _

The bluenette rounded a corner, and at that very moment, one could swear the girl stopped breathing altogether. In front of her lay a complex system of over lapping highways and roads. Some where filled with vendors, others were filled with pedestrians. Some were grated, and yet others were solid. But these paths weren't what awed her. It was what was _on_ them.

Hundreds, maybe _thousands_, of riders and dragons filled the streets. Some were two legged, while others were four legged. And then the _colors_. There were so many varieties and patterns, she couldn't keep count.

Upon closer inspection, she realized that they also had some sort of gear attached to them. She pulled the _Historical Findings _book from her pack and flipped though the pages. Eventually, she came to a chapter labeled _Draconium Power and Gear_. It read:

_Upon her findings, Miss Urquhart also discovered a sort of power within these beasts. Many ancient 'books', per say, label it as draconium. This is what one of the texts says, quote: __A dragon's strength and power comes from the draconium concentrated in its bones. This draconium appears to be a metal element. This element generates vast amounts of energy when in the presence of a life force from which the dragon derives its great strength and speed as well as its mag abilities. _

_There are a total of thirteen colors of draconium:_

_Gold _

_Black _

_Red _

_Green _

_Blue _

_Purple _

_Brown _

_Orange _

_Light Green _

_Light Blue _

_White _

_Grey _

_Turquoise _

_A dragon uses gear by magging the gear to its body. When a dragon mags gear, it creates a stable magnetic lock with the gear which fastens the gear solidly in place. This is similar to how the north and south poles of two magnets lock together when they come in contact. Mag-locks are exceptionally strong and the gear will stay put until the dragon wishes to release it or until the dragon's draconium energy is nearly drained. _

_Gear is usually magged to key points on a dragon's body called zap caps. These include the forehead, chest, shoulder region and other main joints, and are small bone protrusions where draconium energy emissions from the dragon are focused and can project more easily from its body. These zap caps emit visible magnetism in the form of electrical bolts of energy colored to the specific bone color of that dragon type, called 'mag bursts'._

_Draconium gear floats when magged just off the surface of the dragon and this distance can be adjusted by either dragon or rider. Dragons can rotate gear over a zap cap, swap gear between zap caps to move gear around the body, mag gear from gear pit racks and repel other dragons or their own gear from multiple zap caps. _

_Gear always has two functions: the race or competition function and the subsequent battle usage of same._

_Gear contains draconium of a specific color, and to mag the gear, the dragon must find a way to balance its own draconium energy with the gear. Not all draconium colors are compatible with each other, and it will be harder for a dragon to mag certain colors of gear if the dragon's own primary or secondary draconium colors are not compatible. Only gold dragons and gray dragons can mag all gear colors._

Piper sighed as she shifted her gaze back upon the many citizens of the city.

She was jerked out of her stare as she felt a tug at the thin leather belt around her waist. She looked down at her side, and to her unfortunate surprise, she found that her small pouch of crystals was gone. Her heart sped as she looked around, hoping that they just fell off to the ground.

A cold laugh was heard. "Looking for these?" She turned around slowly, finding a rider perched on a purple dragon, holding her pouch out tauntingly.

"Yes, actually. And I would _really_ want them back," she answered back coldly.

Again, he laughed. "Well then, you'll just have to come and get them."

She slowly and bravely walked over to him, tightly holding her staff behind her back.

As she got closer, his smile grew wider. However, it immediately disappeared as she whipped out her staff. He, in return, pulled out his.

"You really don't want to fight me," he said, his 'fun' gone in his voice.

"Oh? And why not?" she inquired.

"Because, I have _friends_," His smile returned with that last statement as another, bigger, rider perched on a pale-purple dragon came out from the shadows.

"Need some _help_, Moordryd?" he called out.

"I wouldn't call it _help_, Cain. More like….fun," the one, apparently called Moordryd, called back.

She noticed three dragon eyes tattooed on both of their jackets. A thought appeared in her head: _Maybe they have groups too, just like the squadrons in Atmos…_

Her thought was cut short as she blocked herself from a purple blast from one of the dragons. Another was sent at her, but instead of blocking it, she jumped up and slammed her staff onto the helmet-covered head of the bigger one. He let out a comical squeak before falling off his dragon. The dragon itself looked at her then vamoosed.

"Coercion, come here!" he yelled at the thing, but it just kept running. He let out a groan as he saw the girl looming over him, staff in hand.

_Big, but just as weak as Finn is, _she thought to herself as she saw the teen get up and run off, following his dragon.

"So much for help…" came Moordryd's voice behind her. Once again, she brought up her staff to block a blow towards her.

"Sorry, but I'm not exactly the person you want for your _entertainment_," she said to him through gritted teeth as she tried to hold back her anger, "You really don't want to mess with me."

"And what if I really do?" he sneered.

She was about to answer back when a blow to her back made her fly forward into a corner. She quickly leapt up, only to be faced by at least ten other riders, again perched on dragons, with the same three dragon eyes tattooed on their jackets.

"Oh great…" she muttered. One brought his staff down, making Piper, once again, hit the ground.

Moordryd's dragon brought its foot down towards the girl. She tried to shield herself from it by holding her arms out in front of her face.

She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact…that never came. She looked up, curios to see what had happened. To her surprise, she saw a red-haired woman holding out a glowing red axe-like weapon, keeping the dragon's paw from squishing the girl.

"Stay out of this, Pyrrah," the teen spat.

"Stay out of what, dragon eye?" she asked coolly, some sort of accent evident in her voice, "To me, this just looked like you were trying to mess around with this young woman."

Piper smiled. She wasn't called a 'young woman' very often. She was more often called 'child' by those who accused the Storm Hawks for being too young.

"She just had something I _wanted_." Obviously, he was getting annoyed.

"And what would that be, Payne?"

"None of your business, Dragon Flare."

Piper couldn't help but give out a small laugh. "What would you want with a pouch of useless rocks, anyway?"

Pyra looked at the teen. "That's all he took? A bag of rocks?"

"That's all that these are?" Moordryd asked as he held up the brown bag, "Just rocks? Huh…then you wouldn't mind if I let them _slip_ into the lower city?" He smiled as he held the bag over the edge of the road.

"No!" Piper blurted out.

"Well, well, then. They _are _important after all."

Suddenly a red blast hit the bag. Piper let out a gasp as the teen let go of it with a wince, letting it fall. But her thoughts were proved wrong as the red blast kept traveling, like a red, horizontal lightning strike. She followed the mag burst to its core: a proud looking, red, two-legged dragon.

The dragon plopped the bag into Pyrrah's hand. "Thank you, Phorrj." The dragon just grumbled and walked up behind Piper. It nuzzled her up to her feet, and she let out a squeak as it did so.

"Now, I suggest you _leave _before I get the rest of my crew. We don't want a street massacre of the Dragon Eyes, now do we?" Pyrrah said, her voice still steady and controlled.

Moordryd scowled at the woman, but decided to leave. "Come on, let's burn claw."

Watching them leave, Piper couldn't help but radiate with thankfulness. "Thank you so much!"

"My pleasure. It's always good to put those Dragon Eyes in their place," the red-head replied. "Are you new here?"

"That obvious?" Piper grimaced.

"Yes, but in a good way. Most don't tangle with the Dragon Eyes. But you," she turned to the girl, "you were brave enough to stand up to them."

The bluenette shrugged. "I didn't know who they were, and...well, I have to use self defense once in a while from where I come from."

Pyrrah laughed. "So I assume you're here for the tutoring program?"

"Um…" Piper quickly thought on her feet. _What could a tutor hurt? _She thought to herself. "Yeah, I am."

"Well, if you would like, the Dragon Flares could be your tutor. My crew and I are signed up for the program."

"Really?" Piper asked enthusiastically.

Pyrrah nodded.

"That would be great!" she squeaked.

"Then welcome to the Dragon Flares," the woman said with a smile as she clapped the girl on the back.

-------------------------

"You're getting good," Artha commented as the two dueled, mag sticks in hand.

"Yeah, but it took me like five months to last this long dueling you," Aerrow panted back.

"_Six_ months, pretty boy," Kitt corrected.

"Will you stop calling me that?"

"Nope."

Aerrow sighed and laughed at the same time. "Figures. Shall we get back to training?"

"We shall!" Artha brought his mag stick down onto Aerrow's, and thus the second part of their battle started.

Aerrow made a quick jump and tried to get at Artha with his staff. The racer blocked him. The red head jumped back and, once again, he blocked a blow from Artha. This one, however, was harder than intended. Aerrow's mag stick broke in half with a loud crack.

"My bad…" Artha said, a sheepish smile on his face. "Here, I'll go grab a spare."

"No, wait," Aerrow called. Artha and Kitt looked at him. "Let me try and fight with these two," Aerrow held up the pieces, and then took a battle stance. Artha shrugged and took a battle stance a little ways away from the teen.

The battle started for the third time. This time, Aerrow fought as if he was a natural. He easily knocked the other teen to the ground. He held out his half-stick in front of Artha's face and said, "I won."

At that moment, Parm walked in. He looked at the duo. "Aerrow actually _won_? What happened?"

"Turns out red's a natural with duelies," Kitt explained.

"Duelies?"

"Yeah, you know, duel mag sticks."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Well then, maybe I should create a set for you, Aerrow."

"That would be awesome!" Aerrow said, perked up from actually _winning_ for once.

"Just, don't add any _modifications_, Parm," Artha added.

The trio laughed as Parm scoffed.

-----------------------------

…sorry. That last bit was last minute --; Hoped yall liked it!

Pweaze review if you can, and once again, Happy Holidays!


	7. Chapter 7

Alloz! Remember, I am NOT the only author here. This is written by Me, NMR05, and Tempest Hawk, my plot writer. This wouldn't have been possible without him!

This is dedicated to all our loyal reviewers!

Specifically:

Brave Kid

Quibblez

Lace Agate

Eldonyx

Chinksta

Fast-reader-finn

MinakoJupiter

Blizzarian Babe

Diligo of oribis terrarium

CrystalWildfyr

If I forgot someone, then this is dedicated to you also!

Also, I would like to thank MinakoJupiter for letting me use 'Bluenette' to refer to Piper. I totally forgot to thank you in the previous chappie! Let alone ask…--cough-- my bad --cough-- Sorry! But luckily, you were nice enough to let me use it! So THANK YOU!

And I would also like to thank the Dragon Booster Fan site for all the info that I've been getting! I would put the site in this author's note, but I don't think it'll show up because of either my computer or fanfiction terms.

Enjoy!

-----------------------------------

Piper sighed as she flipped through the pages of her Dragon City history book. Tired of reading it, she closed it and stuffed it into her pack. She decided to go through her journal, maybe add some things here and there.

Pulling it out, she noticed a small, faded picture slip out and fall to the reddened ground of her new room. The girl picked it up and admired the captured memory. It was of her and Aerrow blushing madly at each other. Obviously Finn had taken it. _The festival in the Park_ Piper recalled. It was one of the very few times Aerrow got a day off from the Sky Knight Academy.

"_Come on," called a 13-year-old Piper to her red-haired best friend as she practically dragged him by the hand._

"_Woa, slow down," he answered back, trying to catch up. "We aren't going to miss it! We have like fifteen minutes."_

"_But knowing the crowds, it'll take us _twenty _minutes to get there!"_

_He shrugged. "Fine, fine, but could you stop trying to pull off my hand? Please?"_

_She smiled sheepishly and let go. "Sorry. But you have to keep up, alright?"_

_Aerrow nodded. "Now let's get going!"_

_They set off into the crowds, running as fast as they could without running into any people or any vendors._

_A few large booms could be heard in the evening sky. _

"_Oh no! They're already starting!"_

"_Relax, Piper."_

_They pushed their way through the huge mobs of people and made their way into a baseball field full of occupied lawn chairs and blankets. Up ahead was what they had been rushing to see: Fireworks. The beautiful lights shone as they lit the dark sky. The crowd awed and exclaimed at the colored fire as they took off._

"_There. See? They just started," the sky knight said as he lightly clapped his friend on the shoulder. _

_Piper smiled as they both quietly walked over to a red and white plaid blanket where Finn, Junko, Radarr, and a terrified Stork sat. The four greeted them as the pair quickly joined them. _

"_What did we miss?" The red-head whispered as he sat down next to Radarr._

"_There was one shaped like a smiley earlier!" Junko whispered._

_Piper quietly laughed and whispered back "cool," as she sat down next to Aerrow. _

_The firework show went on for another forty-five minutes. Piper looked over at Aerrow. He looked so handsome with the firework light shining on his face, his evergreen eyes vibrant with joy. _

_She couldn't stop staring at him. His spiky, scarlet hair waved in the wind as the fireworks went off. _

_She could feel her face going pink, and yet, she couldn't look away._

_Aerrow turned his head and looked at her in return. Surprised, Piper quickly turned her blushing face. What surprised her even more was that Aerrow, too, turned his face which was going as red as his hair. _

_Radarr looked at the pair awkwardly._

_Finn quietly laughed and whispered "Aerrow and Piper, sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n…" He was cut off by a slap on the head from Junko. Stork snickered, obviously over his firework fear. _

_Piper and Aerrow just blushed madly, yet they were both practically _bursting_ with adoration for each other. They looked back up to the sky, and Piper suppressed a giggle. The firework that had just exploded was shaped like a pink heart._

_Suddenly, they heard a click. Looking over at a laughing Finn, they blushed so hard that one might think it wasn't humanly possible. Finn was holding a small digital camera, a picture of the pair on its screen. _

Piper's head shot up as she heard Pyrrah laugh.

"Oh, I know that look," the Dragon Flare stated as she saw the girl. "That's the thinking-of-a-boy look."

Piper giggled, and then mumbled "Guilty."

"So, what's his name?" she teased.

Again, Piper thought on her feet in front of the nineteen year old. She didn't want to say 'Aerrow' should they run across him. "His name's Duma." Duma meant Cheetah in Swahili. She used to call him that when they were young because he would always beat her in races, on foot or on machine.

"Duma, huh?"

Piper nodded.

"He in Dragon City?"

The bluenette shrugged. "Dunno. I haven't seen him for a while."

"Well, I'll have to keep an eye out for him," Pyrrah winked at the girl. "Anyway, I checked the Flares for a spare dragon, but unfortunately, there are none. However, I have a friend on the council that may be willing to give you one as payment."

"Payment? Like a job?"

"Yes. His stables have been targeted for raids lately, and since he had to jack up security, he hasn't had many hands around the stables to take care of his dragons. Would you like to help him out?"

Piper nodded enthusiastically.

"Great. You'll have a dragon in no time then!"

-----------------------------------

Afternoon ('Bout 4:00pm in Earth Time –Why does that sound so odd?...)

-----------------------------------

"I can't believe I'm actually going to get to race in a pro race," Aerrow said as he signed his new name, Aerrow Penn, onto the race roster before him. He had practically become part of their family, and he and Artha had become as close as brothers.

"Well, it's been six months. I think you should be ready to race by now. Plus it's in three days, so that'll give you some time to practice," Connor said as he co-signed the paper.

"And there's a small race tomorrow. The academy racers will be judging it to make sure the rookie racers are ready to compete in real pro races," Kitt added in.

"I just hope I don't get magged off of Raiden," the red-head looked over at the dragon behind him as he gave a reptilian-like laugh at the teen.

"Get magged off _again_, you mean," Lance added.

The group all laughed together.

"So, should we go train you around the track a bit before sun-down?" Artha asked as he mounted Beau and slipped on his helmet. 

"Sure. What gear can I use in the race tomorrow?"

"Level 1 and 3 gear."

"Raiden can mag any gear, right? Since he's grey boned?"

"Yes, he can. I would suggest blue balance gear, red thruster gear, and brown guardian gear, just in case," Parm advised.

"Alright then. Let's go race!" Aerrow mounted Raiden, slipped on his helmet, and followed Artha off towards the track.

-----------------------------------

"Stupid Dragon Booster," Moordryd muttered to himself as he shot a purple bolt at a Dragon Booster dummy.

"Stupid Sky Booster." He shot another purple bolt at a dummy of the Sky Booster.

It had been the ninth time that the pair had beaten him as the Shadow Booster the day before.

Cain, curios of why Moordryd was practicing his mag claw with such fury, casually walked in. Spotting the teen's anger, he simply asked, "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? _What's wrong?_" Moordryd answered back, peeved, "I'll tell you what's wrong! That Sky Boo-boo keeps ruining all my raids, and now he has a little buddy to help him. No matter what I do, I can't get past them!"

Cain stepped back a bit, fearing what might happen to him if Moordryd suddenly got mad at him.

"Cain?" Moordryd asked coolly.

Cain just gave an 'Eep'.

"Go clean the dragon stalls. I'm going to the track."

The said teen was out of there in the blink of an eye.

"Just wait Boosters," Moordryd said as he turned to the two booster dummies, "I'll get you yet." With that, he gave a double blast that zapped the heads off of both dummies.

-----------------------------------

"So, you're interested in working at my stables?" Phistus asked inquisitively.

Piper nodded politely.

"On my honor as a Dragon Flare, Phistus: Although Piper is very smart and polite, she can be very strong. She stood up to the Dragon Eyes, even gave them a fight," Pyrrah said, reassuring the broad man before her.

"The Dragon Eyes, eh?" Phistus looked over at the girl with curiosity.

Piper lightly laughed. "I didn't know who they were, and they tried to steal something precious to me. Put two and two together, and that was the only outcome. Plus I have to use self defense and fighting from where I come from."

"Well then, since I see you're more than capable to work at my stables, you're hired." The Grip of the Dragon crew leader slapped her on the back, sending her forward a bit, but she quickly regained her balance. "Sorry."

"And you'll pay her with a dragon, right Phisty?" Pyrrah added in.

"Yep. I could pay you first thing as long as you don't take the dragon and run,"

"That would be great! And on my word, I promise not to do that."

"Then follow me. I'll let you pick out your dragon, and maybe you could get an hour in before evening."

"Thank you sir," Piper said.

"Well done, Piper. I think you've gotten on his good side," Pyrrah whispered to the girl. She straightened up and added, "We'll make some room in the Flare stables for your dragon."

"Thank you so much, Pyrrah!" Piper said as she quickly followed Phistus.

"Try to be back by dusk!" she called after the girl.

"You sound like my mom!" Piper called back, but gave her a thumbs up.

-----------------------------------

"Down this stable way are the dragons you can choose from, Piper," Phistus said as he gestured down a row of stalls. He had just finished showing Piper around the stables, and to his promise, it was time for her to pick out her dragon.

Walking down past the different stables, she suddenly caught eye with a beautiful white dragon. Blue and yellow stripes spider webbed on its sides. Its eyes were a gorgeous golden yellow, just like a cat's. A small, gold horn just above its nose added to its beauty. Instead of having four legs, it only had two, like a t-rex.

"Ah, I see you've found Sunstrider," Phistus said as he spotted Piper stroking the dragon's head.

"Sunstrider? That's his name?"

"_Her _name."

"It's a beautiful name to match a beautiful dragon."

"Not only beautiful, but _fast_. Would you like to choose her as your dragon?"

"Could I?" Piper looked from Phistus back to Sunstrider.

"Of course."

"Thank you!"

"Hey, no need to thank me. I said I'd pay you with a dragon, and so I have," he said as he opened the stall. Sunstrider gently trotted out and sniffed Piper's outstretched hand.

"I'll go get a saddle for you. Seeing as the Dragon Flares have no dragons for you to use, I doubt they have a spare saddle."

Phistus walked into a small shed, Piper and Sunstrider following. Its walls were lined with saddles of different colors and sizes. Phistus walked over to one of the corners and took a bigger, blue-tinged saddle down.

"Here you are, Sunstrider," Phistus said as he held out the saddle. The dragon shot out a blue mag burst and magged it onto itself. "Perfect for blue boned dragons."

Piper looked up at the dragon and patted her.

"Have you ever ridden a dragon before, Piper?"

The teen sheepishly shook her head. "My parents never had enough to buy one." _A valid lie, _she thought to herself. And it was proved so as Phistus nodded.

"That's understandable. I never rode a dragon until I was sixteen." Piper looked at the man, surprised. "Why don't you ride around for a little while. Then you can get an hour or so done with your job."

Piper nodded. A bolt of electricity shocked her as she was magged onto Sunstrider.

"Wow," was all she could say as she settled into the saddle.

"Yeah, it's a bit of an odd sensation the first time you're magged onto a dragon." Phistus said as he led Sunstrider out of the huge shed room and into the open space of the stable way. "You can ride her around for a bit, to get used to her. Then it would be great if you could take the evening shift."

Piper nodded then led Sunstrider into the stable way. "This should be interesting…" she said. Sunstrider gave a small dragon-like laugh at the comment and set off at a sprint.

--------------------------------

"You sure this track is open to anybody?" Aerrow asked, obviously unsure.

"Yup. It always is unless there's a professional race going on," Artha replied, "I'm just surprised that no one's on the track right now."

"Alright then, let's race!"

With that, the duo bolted down that track.

Artha laughed as he and Beau easily passed Aerrow and Raiden.

"You know, you're going to have to get a bit better if you want a chance at winning that pro race," he advised as Beau slowed a bit so they were racing side by side.

"Maybe so, but I won't have to race against _you_," he called back.

"No, but you _will_ be racing other rookies that may be better than you."

"I've raced them before in like eight other races." Aerrow noted.

"Yes, but those were only against a few racers at a time. This one will be with _everyone_."

Aerrow mulled over it while muttering an "Oh."

"That means you'll have to watch your back, and watch Raiden's back, even more."

"Well how do you suggest I get better?"

"Just concentrate on your racing. Don't let the other racers enter your mind. As my dad once told me, you have to _release the dragon_."

Aerrow straightened up and closed his evergreen eyes, concentrating only on the moving ground beneath him and Raiden. Suddenly, the grey dragon sped up. Beau strained to keep up, and yet still, Raiden passed him up.

"There ya go!" Artha exclaimed as Aerrow and Raiden zoomed forward.

Aerrow opened his eyes, and Raiden suddenly slowed down. Even though Raiden wasn't going the breakneck speed he just was, he still was pretty fast.

He looked behind him; Artha and Beau were so far behind, he couldn't even see them. He turned back around and narrowly avoided a mag stikk.

"What's up stable brat?" Moordryd taunted.

"What do you want, Moordryd?" Aerrow growled.

"Just to get a message across," was all he answered before he activated Decepshun's bashing gear. Having the element of surprise, the dragon rammed into Raiden, knocking him to the ground.

Raiden skidded to a stop on his side. Aerrow cautiously got up and knelt beside his dragon.

Moordryd led Decepshun up to them and gave a snicker at the two. "Why don't you just go back to the boonies where you came from, stable brat? You're not going to stand a chance in that race, let alone as a _real_ racer." With that, he headed off down the track.

Artha and Beau quickly headed their way. "You two alright?" He magged off Beau and helped Aerrow up.

"I'm fine" the red-head replied. "Raiden, are you okay?"

The said dragon got up and shook like a dog, showing he was fine also.

"Come on, let's not let a Moordryd-caused wipe out ruin our race," Artha piped up.

Aerrow nodded back and was magged back onto Raiden. Beau magged Artha onto his saddle, and then the four accelerated down the track.

--------------------------------

At Dusk

--------------------------------

Piper hummed as she carefully swept a stall. Sunstrider quietly followed. Piper said that the dragon could follow her if she wished. Not wanting to go back into a stall, Sunstrider quickly obliged. The bluenette closed the stall and started on the next, unaware of the approaching danger…

A green tri-shaped gear zoomed past her and hit Sunstrider right on the dragon's torso. It glued her to the wall, the green mag energy pulsing. Sunstrider struggled to get free, but she had no avail.

The Shadow Booster and his dragon leapt down and landed right behind Piper. "Well, well. If it isn't the little girl from out of town," he called. Piper speedily turned around.

The teen reached for her staff, but found none. _It's back at the Dragon Flare base! _Her mind raced frantically. Without delay, she reached into the pouch attached to her belt and whipped out a beacon crystal. She quickly smashed it on the ground about a meter away from her. The grey crystal shards let out a bright ray of white light that went high in the sky.

The Shadow Booster just laughed. "What's that going to do? Scare me with a little light?"

"No, but it may just get you out of here," she replied back and took a defensive pose, ready to do some sky-fu if she really needed.

-----------------------------------

A light echoed across the evening sky.

"What was that?" Aerrow asked as he pulled Raiden to a stop.

"Dunno, but maybe we should go check it out, Booster style." Artha said the latter with a grin on his face.

Aerrow nodded, his oh-so-famous smirk on his face.

-----------------------------------

Piper hid behind a stable wall, praying that she wouldn't be found. Unfortunately, she was. Once again, she ran like the dickens, avoiding every single mag blast that she could.

Suddenly, she was lifted off her feet. She struggled to get free, but stopped as she saw the guy that was carrying her. He was adorned in grey armor, and white, spiky hair could be seen out of his helmet, much like the Dark Ace's. What really got her though was the symbol on his helmet and on his dragon's head; it was the symbol of the Storm Hawks.

"Don't worry, we're the good guys," he said. The dragon magged her up behind the teen, and she settled herself into its saddle. _This must be the Sky Booster, _she thought, referring back to her Dragon City book.

"We?" she asked.

He just nodded behind him. She turned, and to her surprise, there was another booster. But instead of being just 'another booster', it was _the_ booster: the Dragon Booster.

"Where you the one that set off the flare?" he asked.

"Yeah. Are you the Sky Booster?"

"Yup."

_That voice, _she thought, _I know that voice._ She shook off the thought and held onto the saddle even harder.

"The dragon that was hit by the green trapping gear, is it yours?"

"Yes, she is. Could you bring me back over to her? I bet it would literally take a load of your dragon's back."

The booster laughed at the comment then nodded.

Raiden made a sharp turn down a stable way a came out where Sunstrider was still hanging by the gear. The Sky Booster took out his half-stick and knocked down the three trapping gear spheres. Sunstrider landed with a thump, then magged Piper off of Raiden and back onto her back.

"Can you go warn Phistus for us? I think he'd want to know."

"You bet," Piper replied. Sunstrider bolted off in the direction of the Grip of the Dragon crew base.

"Alrighty then," Aerrow said, "let's go kick us some Shadow Booster tail, eh?"

-----------------------------------

The two boosters clashed as each tried to bring down the other. Suddenly, the Dragon Booster and Beau were clung to the wall with the Shadow Booster's trapping gear.

"Need some help?" Aerrow broke in.

The Shadow Booster gave a cold smirk, "Not this time, Sky Boo-boo. It's _you_ that'll be needing help!"

Aerrow let out a surprised 'huh?' before being slammed to the ground by a mag blast. Decepshun kept her purple blast on the Sky Booster, pinning him to the ground. He struggled to get free, but it was practically impossible. The Shadow Booster leapt off his dragon, and extended his mag staff. The dragon broke her mag blast as the Shadow Booster came down with his staff, aiming right for Aerrow. But before he could hit him, Aerrow suddenly went completely invisible.

"What the…?" he muttered. The now vanished Sky Booster quietly crept up behind him. He took out his two mag staves and smacked him on the head with them, sending the confused Booster forward.

"Nice try, Shadow Booster," Phistus jeered as he and Piper strode over on their dragons.

Looking around, the Shadow Booster realized he was surrounded. "So you two were lucky this time, Boo-boos, but next time you won't be!" With that, the Shadow Booster was magged onto his dragon, and they leapt up atop the stables then vanished out of sight.

"Nice job," The Dragon Booster said, finally free of the gear. "Looks like you've got another power there."

"An awesome one at that!" Aerrow replied back, relieved that he was able to defeat the Shadow Booster by himself.

Piper stared at the two, but was snapped out of it as Phistus turned to her. "I think that should count as _three_ hours towards your job," he said as he clapped her on the shoulder lightly.

She giggled lightly and said, "Thanks, but I think I can make up the lost time with well earned minutes."

Phistus smiled then looked at the darkening sky. "Why don't you head off back to Pyra's. I'm sure you're ready for a good night's sleep. You can start tomorrow at noon."

Piper nodded drowsily, and then mounted Sunstrider. She took one last look at the Boosters, who were now taking their leave. The pair soon followed their example and set off towards the Dragon Flares Compound.

-----------------------------------

The teen flopped onto her bed wit a sigh, now changed into her orange and white-polka-dotted pajamas. She stared at the volcanic ceiling of her new room; she still hadn't figured out how the Dragon Flares made a home in such a volcanic place without frying from lava or suffocating from volcanic fumes. She guessed she never would.

Turning onto her side, she noticed a calendar. She cocked her head at it. It was six months ahead of the Atmosian calendar, but it had exactly the same time frames. A thought occurred in her head. _What if…_she thought, _what if Dragon city is five months and a week ahead of Atmos?_ She scrambled to her feet and whipped out her history book, flipping through the pages until she got to a segment on Dragon City time. Sure enough, it said that there may be a time change between the two dimensions. Her body practically went numb as she sat back down on her bed, shocked. _Aerrow's been here for six months,_ she thought, horrified. Suddenly, she was glad Aerrow lost his memory. If not, he probably would've given up by then.

----------------------------------------------

Dun dun dun. Aerrow's been in Dragon City for six months, while Piper thought it had only been a few weeks. I hope that didn't confuse everybody who's reading this.

And I also hope this wasn't too long! Jeeze, these 12 pages took me FOREVER. Just ask Tempest Hawk. I'd probably be dead by now if he wasn't so patient. :3

Oh, and I must give credit to my town for the 'Festival in the Park' idea! I'm going to say which town, however. So poo on you, all you stalkers that wanted to know!

Please review! They make me happy! Unless they're flamers. PLEASE, NO FLAMERS!


	8. Chapter 8

Yay chapter 8! You know the drill. Neither me nor Tempest Hawk own Storm Hawks. Boo-hoo. Now onto the chapter!

"Wake up, guys! Today's the day!" Kitt called as she walked by the stall that the Penn crew called their home.

"We're up, we're up!" Artha replied back as he walked out, Beau and the others following in tow.

She looked towards Aerrow. "Today's the day of the big race! Are you two ready to go?" she asked excitedly as she mounted Wyldfire.

"Yup. We just have to get the gear then Raiden and I are good to go. Just one question: why do the races start so early?" Aerrow had a hint of drowsiness in his voice as he said the latter.

"Technically, the races start at _noon_. But according to the officials, we should get there early so we can reserve our gear tent. They always plan out for fifteen racers and their sponsors, but they _always_ have late entries."

Aerrow nodded then mounted Raiden. "Well, let's go then!"

--------------------------------------------------

Piper easily opened the gate to Sunstrider's new stall. It was exceptionally larger than her old one, much to the dragon's delight.

"Piper?"

The thick accent allowed the girl to immediately recognize the voice: Pyrrah.

"Yah?" She mounted Sunstrider and led the dragon out of the stables. Her face paled a bit as she came out; the whole Dragon Flare crew was there waiting for her.

"Um… did I do something wrong?" She slouched down a bit in her saddle as she asked the question.

"Good heavens, no!" Pyrrah exclaimed, and Piper loosened up a bit. "We actually have a little surprise for you."

She gestured to one of the crew members who held out a box in return. The flaming haired woman took it and gave it to the girl.

The bluenette took it cautiously, opened it, and gasped at what was inside. Folded neatly in the box was a blue, pink, and white outfit, the Dragon Flare emblem on the back and on the navy blue belt. But that wasn't it. Also inside was perfectly polished red turbo gear, also with the Dragon Flare emblem on it.

"We know you may have to leave after the race season is done, but we thought you deserved being part of the crew. Would you like to join the Dragon Flares?"

"Of course I would! Thank you so much!" Piper exclaimed with joy.

"Dragon Flares" she addressed her crew, "looks like we have a new member."

The other eight or nine members clapped for the girl.

"Alright, you are free to go," she concluded the meeting with such.

A few members congratulated the smiling teen as they and their dragons passed by her, heading out to do their daily work.

"You two know how to use turbo gear, correct?" Pyrrah asked as she guided Phorrj up to Sunstrider and Piper. The girl nodded in return. "Good. Now, I need to talk with you both for a moment."

The four strode into the fire-spewing base. Pyrrah dismounted Phorrj, as did Piper, when they reached a room with a long table standing in the middle; presumably the meeting room.

"Alright, I need to talk to you about the race today. I know you have only been in one before, but I think you're prepared enough to enter the race today. Because of the race you participated in, you're eligible to participate in this one. You don't have to win, heck you could even be in last place to pass. You just have to show to the judges that you're capable of real racing. Would you two be up to it?"

Piper looked at Sunstrider, who gave a reassuring reptilian nod back at her. "I guess so then!" she replied back, excited and nervous at the same time.

"Excellent!" she clapped her hands together as if to emphasize her point. "Let's get going then!"

With that, they headed off towards the track.

------------------------------------------------------

Moordryd strode up to the officials, Khatah, Pyrrah, and Phistus, who were currently signing up last minute racers at the entrance.

"Excuse me, if I may," he started out, attracting the officials' attention; "I would like permission to enter the race today."

"Oh please, Moordryd. Not only are we running out of gear tents, but the rookie racers wouldn't have a fair chance of beating you," Pyrrah said, exasperated that he would ask such a thing. She looked back down onto the paper she was filling out for another racer.

"Not only that, but this race doesn't award any points. Why would you want to enter?" Phistus added.

"Oh, just to show these rookies how _real_ racing is done," Moordryd answered back coolly.

"No, Moordryd," the red-haired woman answered.

The Dragon Eye scoffed. "You're just showing favoritism, Pyrrah."

"Excuse me?" she snapped, looking up from the paper before her to the teen.

"You're showing favoritism to that Piper girl. You don't want her to loose and damage the Dragon Flare name."

"I'm worried that you'll knock out the rookie racers before they can show us and the woman from the academy what they're really made of," she answered back impatiently.

"Actually," a woman, presumably the scout from the academy, started in on the subject, "I think it would be a great idea for Moordryd to compete."

Startled by the woman's sudden presence, the three judges all stared at her, confused.

Khatah mulled over the thought. He finally broke the silence by whispering something to Pyrrah and Phistus. The three came to a conclusion and looked back to the academy scout. "We have made a decision. We will let Moordryd enter the race," Moordryd gave a satisfied grin at that, "but only on one condition: other cadet racers compete also."

The Dragon Eye scoffed at the idea, but agreed. "Fine."

"Then it's settled. Let the race begin!" the scout clapped her hands once to emphasize her point. "That is, as soon as all the racers are here," she added in quickly.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Okay: Red turbo gear?" Parm asked Aerrow and Raiden as the Penn Crew traveled from their gear tent to the track starting line.

"Check," he replied.

"Blue balance gear,"

"Check."

"And Brown guardian gear?"

"Check."

"Great. Then you're ready to race!"

"Now don't forget that your duel stikks can be locked together. It may help you pretty boy," Kitt advised him.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine," the red-head answered back coolly. "I'll meet you guys back at the gear tent after the race, alright?"

They all nodded, and Aerrow headed off towards the track.

------------------------------------

"Alright, Piper. I just spoke to the academy scout, and we have come to a decision; other cadet racers will be competing also," Pyrrah spoke to the girl carefully as she escorted Piper to the track start.

"Okay," she simply answered.

The red-head raised her eye-brows. "You mean you're fine with that?"

"Sure. As I've said, I use defense skills from where I come from. Those skills can easily be used for offense also."

"Very well then. I don't know what cadets are competing, but I assure you, they shouldn't attack you too hard. After all, this race isn't theirs; it's yours."

Piper nodded. "I better be off to the track start."

"Okay, well, I have to get back to the judges stand. I'll meet you back at the stables after the race.

The two parted ways as the warning bell for the race rang.

---------------------------------------

"Penn crew?" A voice was heard outside of the crew's tent. The four turned around and greeted Phistus as he walked into the orange tent. "Alright, here's the deal: the judges and I have come up with an idea. Seeing as the competitors need a bit more competition in our eyes, we have agreed to let in one cadet racer from each rookie-sponsoring crew. So, you may choose one crew member to help out your trainee. Get to the track a.s.a.p. when you do." The crew nodded and the broad man stepped outside. The same message could be heard again as he talked to the crew next-door to them.

They all looked at Artha. "Yup, figured I'd be the one." He mounted Beau as the dragon magged on some gear pieces. "See ya."

---------------------------------------

"Welcome all to today's race!" The race marshal attracted the crowd's attention with such. "This race will determine whether each of these racers is ready to become a true racer. If they pass, they will either become part of a crew, or start their own crew. If they fail, they must start over and compete with next year's rookie racers."

The race marshal went on, explaining the rules and such. A few dragons pawed the ground restlessly, waiting for the race to start. Piper could feel that Sunstrider was a bit tense, but just as excited as the other dragons. She stroked the blue-boned dragon's head. She looked over the racers: some of them looked like they were about to run away screaming, while others looked like they were ready race, just a bit nervous. Only a few of them looked completely unnerved with the race. _Those guys must be the cadet racers _she thought to herself. Hearing the race marshal say that the race would begin in a minute, she fitted on her new Dragon Flare helm over her blue hair; she actually had it down for once. She then continued down the line: brunette totally ready to go, an icy-blue-haired woman, probably no older than Starling, the teen she had fought with before--_Moor-something_ she thought, his name escaping her, a teen just a bit older than herself with a bit of a burnt racing jacket, a red-head talking to him, a --She did a double take on the red-head. Her mind raced as she saw him. _Aerrow!_ She wanted to scream his name, but fought back, not wanting to make a complete fool of herself.

She smiled broadly, but was pushed back into the race world as the race marshal called out for the race to begin. "Three," he began, "Two," The anxiety to race was horrible for both the racers and the dragons. "One," Some of the racers smiled with sheer anticipation. "Go!"

The dragons set off. The teen was suddenly glad that she had a helmet on, for the wind whipped by her at speeds she never thought a living thing could go. She and Sunstrider easily passed by some rookies. She let out a small whoop as she passed a cadet racer. Remembering that Pyrrah had told her to conserve Sunstrider's strength for the end of the race, she slowed the dragon down. "Great job, Sun!" she whispered to her dragon. Sunstrider smiled broadly in a reptilian-like grin.

That's when she saw him. Moordryd. The name came back to her with hatred. Pyrrah had told her all about him. He and his crew were the worst around, but some of the best racers. She took out her staff. Luckily for her, she was allowed to use her old one. 'It has a few odd add-ons, but just as good as a normal mag stikk. If you know how to use it, use it.' Pyrrah had told her such.

"Well, well. If it isn't the little girly-girl." His voice was even more annoying than Finn's. _Wow_, she thought to herself, amused. _Never thought I'd meet someone who was more annoying than Finn._

"Well, well. If it isn't the bozo from the shadows," she taunted back.

He scoffed, but said nothing else.

"What, couldn't come up with a better come-back, lil' Dragon eye?" She couldn't help but laugh. She was on a roll.

She brought her staff up just in time to block his mag stikk. Once again, she was getting attacked. She pushed her staff up ferociously, knocking the other teen back. Taking the advantage, she leapt from Sunstrider and easily landed on Moordryd's dragon. Surprised by the move, he quickly but recklessly hit at her with his mag stikk. She dodged all the blows. Smirking, she did a quick sky-fu move and knocked him off of his dragon. Sunstrider magged Piper back on. She whooped as Sunstrider switched the turbo gear on. The pair flew forward, leaving a furious Moordryd behind.

"Way to go, Sunstrider!" Piper called as she stopped the turbo gear, not wanting to completely drain Sunstrider's mag energy.

------------------------------------------

"Remember Aerrow, stay behind the other racers so you can draft!" Artha called out over the roar of dragon paws on track metal.

Aerrow nodded and led Raiden behind a few racers. He activated Raiden's guardian gear, which covered all the other gear with brown armor in return.

"Ready Raiden?" The dragon growled then tensed for the move. "Let's go!"

The pair shot forward leaving the other racers in the dust. The teen whooped as they passed by even more, but the effect was short-lived. The two slowed down, but were still far ahead of all the other rookie racers.

"Nice," he simply stated as he rearranged his helmet.

He could hear a few riders up ahead, so he whipped out his mag stikks. He couldn't help but snicker as he passed by a wiped out and seriously ticked off Moordryd on the ground, Decepshun not far away.

Another racer, perched on a beautiful white, two-legged dragon, was in front of him. He gripped his mag stikks a bit harder, preparing for anything. Suddenly, a cadet racer raced by, green tail hammer gear activated. Aerrow tried yelling a warning to the rookie, but no luck. She couldn't hear him. The cadet racer pulled up beside her, and with one swift move, knocked off a piece of her gear. The girl tried to block a blow with her staff, but it just knocked her off her dragon. Holding onto her dragon's saddle, she tried to get up, but ducked right back down as the racer sent the tail hammer back over to her dragon.

Figuring she'd fall, he raced forward, leaving a very dazed racer behind. Aerrow urged Raiden forward. The dragon reluctantly obeyed with a growl, then pulled up beside the other rookie racer.

------------------------------------------

Piper held onto the saddle with all her might. _Stupid, stupid! _She thought to herself. The teen was knocked out of her thoughts as she heard someone say, "Need some help?"

Her head shot up; she knew that voice! She gasped as she was lifted up by the back of her shirt and back onto her saddle. "Thanks!"

"Hey, no problem. Be a bit more careful out here!" he replied back.

Piper looked at him, and once again, gasped. It was _Aerrow_! She nodded then watched him accelerate forward. _Yup,_ she thought to herself, _he doesn't remember me. But he hasn't changed at all._

------------------------------------------

Raiden shook his head at the teen riding him. "What?" he asked, "She needed help!"

The grey-boned dragon just rolled his eyes as if to say _show off_. Aerrow laughed.

"Hey, Aerrow, get your head back in the game!" Parm called to him through the com link. "You're approaching the finish line!"

"Right," he replied back. He looked around. "Sweet! Raiden, we might actually win this thing!" Raiden gave a smirk in return to the teen's jubilee.

Aerrow turned out to be right as they flew across the finish line, smiles on their faces as they received cheers from the crowd.

"Looks like we have our first place winner! Aerrow, of the Penn Crew!" he could hear the race marshal say, though he really wasn't a part of the crew; he was only being tutored by them.

He and Raiden trotted over to the side of the track, waiting for the rest of the racers to come to the end. Artha and Beau came in second, but they didn't count seeing as they were cadets. The girl he saved swiftly ran across the black-and-white checkered line.

"Second place, Piper of the Dragon Flares!"

The girl smiled and led her dragon over to the side. "Nice job," she said to Aerrow, who smiled back.

"Thanks. You're not too bad yourself!" he replied back, the smirk she had missed so much on his face. "The name's Aerrow Penn. What's yours?"

" Mine's Piper. Great to meet you," she said then turned back to wait for the other racers to come through.

Artha and Beau trotted up beside the two and elbowed Aerrow in the ribs. "A little crush, have we?" he whispered to the teen.

"Oh, shut up," he said with a laugh.

The other non-disqualified racers came through in a wave of dragons. Cheers still filled the air as the race came to an end.

The racers waited to be excused, and left as they were. Aerrow was magged off of Raiden as he left to go meet up with Artha; Raiden headed back on is own to the gear tent. The red-head went over to the race flag, where he said he would meet Artha at. Fans and crew captains swirled around Aerrow, asking questions and the like.

Piper, who decided to talk to Aerrow and see if he remembered her at all, walked up to the mob. She yelled out Aerrow's name, but he couldn't hear her. Raiden charged through the crowd and mag-lifted the teen onto his back.

"Thanks," he said to his dragon before the two headed off to the gear tent. _Artha can find us there_ he thought to himself. It was proved right as he met Artha over there.

"Come on," the Penn said as he mounted back onto Beau, "We have a party to go to!"

------------------------------------------

Piper sighed. She was never going to get a hold of him like this. _Looks like I'll have to change my tactics._

------------------------------------------

"We're doomed," Stork simply said, contemplating on their current situation.

"How do you figure that Stork?" Starling asked, exasperated.

"Piper's been in there for like three days now. How do we know that she didn't just blow into bits when she walked into the other side?" he replied in his panicked voice.

Starling just sighed. Junko walked in, a melancholy Radarr on his shoulder. "Anything?" She asked.

The wallop shook his head. "I don't know where they are. Shouldn't she be back by now?" he asked, a worried look on his face for both of his best friends.

Starling was about to reply when Finn came running in. He pointed a finger at Radarr before saying, "You!" Everyone looked at him as if he were mad. "You took my record!"

Radarr's face became mischievous, and he ran off with Finn on his tale. Yelling and random crashed could be heard.

Starling once again sighed. _How on Atmos does Aerrow do this?_ she asked herself.

-----------------------------------------

Ta da! The eighth chapter! Hoped you liked it! 3


	9. Chapter 9

That took me long enough. So sorry for the wait! I think my beta's just about ready to kill me…Wow. I've been on here for six months now, and I have never gotten this close to finishing a fic…ANYWHO, before I keep rambling on, I shall start typing!

Oh, by the way, this chapter is dedicated to my great beta, Tempest Hawk. This story wouldn't exist without him! And I think he was just about ready to kill me with how long this chapter took to write!

-------------------------------------

Booming music and the sounds of cheerful voices filled the air as Aerrow and Artha strode up on their dragons; obviously, the party had already started. It was just about sunset, so everyone that was going to come was most likely already there.

The red head looked around. _Khata, Pyrrah, Phistus, Wulph, Ferryt,_ he mentally listed the names of the people he could see with a joyous look. _Even Chute is here!_

"How many people did you invite?" Aerrow finally asked incredulously.

Artha simply laughed. "I didn't invite anyone. When a rookie racer wins the first race of the year, all the crews throw a party for him or her. And considering that you left practically everyone in dragon paw dust today, you deserve it."

Aerrow's smile grew as a few crew leaders came up and congratulated him. The two teens made their way into the festive gathering while Raiden and Beau trotted off, not interested in the affair.

Kitt, Parm, and Lance came up to the pair, smiles plastered onto their faces as well. "Finally, you made it!" Lance said, excitement in the boy's voice.

Before they could even start a conversation, Connor came up into the middle of the crowd and tapped on his water glass to get everyone's attention.

"Alright everyone, I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming out tonight! Obviously, we are here to celebrate the first win of the race season. That well deserved win is entitled to Aerrow, the Penn Racing crew rookie racer!" The crowd broke out in a cheer. "And that winner has just made his entrance. So Khata," he looked at the Inner Order crew leader, "if you will, please accompany me in awarding him his rightfully earned gear!" Khata stepped forward, a large box in his hands. Artha urged his red-haired friend forward; Aerrow quickly complied and stepped forward.

Khata smiled at him, then said, "Congratulations Aerrow. This gear belongs to you and only you." He handed him the box, then motioned for him to open it. The teen did so, and his smile grew wider yet. "As you can see, this gear is blue speed gear. It may look more like decorative gear rather than useful gear, but trust me, it does its share. Use it well, Aerrow."

When Khata finished, the overly delighted Aerrow managed a thank you, then bowed low before the crew leader. Khata returned the gesture, then allowed him back into the crowd.

Connor and Khata left the spotlight and went off to mingle. The red-head went back to the others, carefully holding the box in his arms.

Artha looked at the box and said, "May I?" Aerrow handed him the box. The teen examined the gear, a smile on his face also. "Sweet. I'll go put it in the gear stables."

Artha headed off while Aerrow walked over to the edge of the stables, peering up at the starlit sky. He practically jumped ten feet in the air as Kitt walked up beside him.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Nah, just a bit on my mind." He replied back, looking back up to the sky.

"That girl?"

"How'd you know?" he asked her rhetorically.

"Okay, so maybe talking to a girl about girls isn't the best thing, but for now, I'm the best you got. So lay it on me; what's wrong?"

Aerrow let out a sigh, then looked at her. "No way you're going to let this slide, huh?"

Kitt shook her head.

"Thought so…" The red-head closed his eyes. "What's bugging me is that I think I know her from somewhere…I _know_ I know her from somewhere. But, I don't remember her. It's like déjà vu." He looked back over to Kitt. "Any idea what I'm saying?"

Kitt nodded back to the teen. "Well, maybe she really is someone you know. You _did_ loose your memory, remember?"

Aerrow took in a deep breath, then closed his eyes again. "Yah, I know." Before he could say anything else, Connor once again took the crowd's attention.

"Excuse me everyone, but it seems I have another announcement to make." He said over the crowd's chattering. "I think I'll turn it over to my son, Artha Penn, to make this proposal." Connor steeped out of the way as the said teen stepped forward.

"Alright, the Penn crew has reached a decision. Aerrow?" The red-head looked his way. "We want to know if you would like to be an official member of the Penn Racing Team."

Aerrow's emerald eyes widened. "Seriously?" he asked.

"No, I just wanted to say that." He said sarcastically. "Of course! So what do you say?"

"Heck yeah!" he replied back, and just as he did, Raiden trotted up behind him, the Penn Crew symbol newly tattooed on his side. Aerrow smiled so wide one wouldn't think it possible.

The crowd cheered for the teen, but before anyone could say anything to him, a loud blast could be heard in the stables. The crowd looked over at the source.

"Surprise! Thought I'd crash this lame excuse for a party!" a voice called out.

"The Shadow Booster!"

-------------------------------------

There ya have it. SOOOO sorry it took so long for me to post this! Pweaze review!


	10. Chapter 10

Holla

Holla! Hope you enjoy!

I don not own Storm Hawks. I wonder what would happen if I said I did…((Evilly plots)) XD

--

Piper silently led Sunstrider over to the Penn crew stables. _ I sure hope I can find him…_she thought to herself doubtfully. She pulled Sunstrider to a stop, magged off, then took a deep breath.

She walked around the corner towards the stables, but stopped abruptly as a purple bolt whipped past her head. Screams could be heard from the stables as a mass of people rushed out into the cold night air. An evil laugh could be heard. _I know that laugh! The Shadow Booster!_ she thought to herself, then started over to Sunstrider, but stopped herself. She wanted to find Aerrow, and running away was _not_ the answer. She did a quick U-turn and hid behind a nearby shed, watching as the boy she met earlier, Artha, and Aerrow came running out also.

They too hid. But that's not what surprised her. They each took out a medallion and fitted them into their bracers. A small flash of light erupted from both. She stared at the figures in their place: the so-called Dragon Booster and Sky Booster. She gasped. Unfortunately, it was audible to one of them: Aerrow. He looked over way, tapped the Dragon Booster's shoulder, and her pointed at her.

Piper sighed in relief as the Boosters quickly mounted there dragons. _Maybe they just shrugged me off…_ Piper thought hopefully. But she was wrong. The two and their dragons trotted up to her. The Dragon Booster simply said, "You didn't see a thing, alright?" The girl nodded. She watched as the two boosters went in towards the stables as she fought the urge to grab Aerrow right then and there.

--

"Hey! Shadow Booster!" Aerrow called out to the booster before them. "You looking for us? Or are you just looking for trouble?"

The Shadow Booster simply laughed. "Both!" was all he said before the two of them were un-expectantly hit from the side and thrust across the room into the wall.

Aerrow let out a gasp of pain as he got up, but simply shook it off. Raiden also shook the blast off; literally. Artha dusted himself off then looked toward the source. "Well, well. Guess you brought some Wraith buddies with you, huh?" The Shadow Booster simply laughed once again in reply.

"Guess it'll take a bit more than just simple Sky boo-boo powers from your little buddy this time, huh Dragon Booster?"

He huffed in response. "Beau, mag me!" And with that, the fight began.

The Shadow Booster just smiled. "Hey dragons?" The wraith dragons turned their heads toward him. "Sick 'em!" They quickly charged at the Dragon Booster, their teeth bared.

"Oh crud," was all he managed to say before he and Beau were almost squished by the five purple dragons coming after him. The black and gold dragon let out a roar as they fought them away. Raiden quickly magged Aerrow off, then galloped over to the pair to help out.

The Shadow Booster looked towards the red-head. "And now it's just you and me, _Sky Booster_," he sneered at him.

Aerrow simply smiled, then disappeared before the booster's eyes.

The Shadow Booster's evil grin faded into a snarl as he heightened his senses, trying to locate the other booster. "Marco…" he called out, his head looking this way and that for any sign of his enemy.

"Polo," Aerrow simply said as he appeared right behind the other booster, his two mag stikks out and poised in his hands. He slammed them down, but the dark booster was just as quick. He put his mag stikk up just in time to block the blow.

His menacing smile returned once more as he kicked Aerrow right in the chest, sending him flying once more into the wall. His duel mag stikks clattered onto the floor, far away from him. Raiden looked over at the teen, for once actually fearingfor his rider. But unfortunately, the grey-boned dragon couldn't help him; he had _other _concerns at the moment with defending himself from the wraith dragons.

The Shadow Booster laughed once more. "You're mine, Sky Booster!" He charged his mag stikk up with a black, sinister, mag energy then lifted it up, about to send it barreling down through the teen's chest.

"No!"

The booster momentarily stopped his attack and looked over at the source of the shout: Piper. His grin grew wider. "Well, well. It's my lucky day. Two boosters cornered, plus I can rid my friend of a _pest_."

He shot out a purple bolt from his free hand at the girl. Luckily, it missed her…but it _did_ hit something: her recollection stone. She brought it along to 'jog Aerrow's memory,' in a sense, when she got to him.

She quickly moved out of the way before he could send another blast towards her. Meanwhile, Aerrow had managed to get back up onto his feet and had grabbed his duel mag stikks.

He crept up behind the other booster, and then knocked him down with his mag stikks. "Miss me?"

The other booster staggered back up, then jumped back from another attack from Aerrow. The red-head smiled as he finally gained the upper-hand.

Artha, Beau, and Raiden had successfully driven off the last of the wraith dragons by then, and all three had gone up behind the evil booster. Aerrow smiled. "Looks like we win again, _Shadow Boo-boo_."

The Shadow Booster snarled at him, then magged onto his dragon. "Looks like you have. But not for long…not for long." With that, he and his dragon burned claw out of there.

The two high fived as they mounted back onto their dragons. Then something hit Aerrow: _Piper!_ He looked around for the girl that he had met on the track, then trotted over to her while changing out of his gear. He stopped in front of her and held out a hand. She gladly took it and hopped on behind Aerrow. She smiled, happy to finally be with her friend.

He grinned back at her. "So where can I drop you off, miss?"

"Actually," she began, "if you don't mind, I need to talk to you."

Aerrow gave her a questioning look, but didn't ask anything. He looked over at Artha, who had also changed out of his booster form. "Artha? I'll be right back." The other teen shrugged, then led Beau out of the now trashed stables.

After he was sure the Artha was out of ear shot, he magged off of Raiden, and Piper followed the action. "So what do you need to talk to me about?"

She there was a small silence before she answered the question. "Aerrow, you don't remember me, do you?"

He looked at her quizzically. "Yeah, of course I do. You were at the race and-"

"No, before the race," she said, cutting him off.

The red head thought for a moment. "Should I?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "Oh, how can I explain this?..." she mumbled to herself. She looked back at Aerrow, and she saw a hint of curiosity in his emerald eyes. "Well, we grew up together for starters. We-" She was cut off as Parm came up behind Aerrow.

"Aerrow, be careful about what she says. She _is_ a Flare, after all. They're notorious for lying you know," he said matter-of-factly, paranoia in his gaze as he looked at the blue-haired girl.

"Aerrow, you've got to believe me," she pleaded. Aerrow thought for a moment.

"Parm, she could be telling the truth. I mean, I can't remember anything before the time that you guys found me. Maybe we really did grow up together."

"Well, it wasn't just me and you. There was Stork, Junko, Finn…and Radarr! You _must_ remember him!"

"Who would name there kid 'Radarr'?" he asked, humor in his smirk.

"Well, for one, you would. And he isn't a kid; he's a sky monkey. I think."

"You think he's a _what_?"

"Never mind. But come on! The guys? The Storm Hawks? Don't you remember them?"

The red head shook his head.

Piper sighed once more. She pulled out the damaged crystal and showed it to him.

"What is _that_?" Parm asked, interested, but a bit timid at the thing.

"It's a recovery stone. It should help Aerrow remember things from before."

"Wait, wait. How do we know that's not dangerous? It could harm him and-"

"Parm, I think I can fend for myself, thanks." Aerrow said, almost coldly. "It doesn't hurt to try."

Piper smiled. Finally, he was coming around.

"Alright then. But if anything happens, don't say I didn't tell you." Parm simply said.

Piper took a deep breath. "The crystal was damaged, but I think it should still work." She held it up to Aerrow's gaze.

Suddenly, the teen gasped. His eyes closed tightly as the crystal's power erupted through his head.

_The party…his childhood…Piper…Radarr…_The two figures came back clearly into the teen's head. Then, the crystal cracked, and the power faded away, out of the red-head's mind.

He slowly opened his eyes, rubbing his forehead a small bit. "Woa…" he muttered.

"Well? Did it work?" Piper asked, hoping with all her might that it did.

"I'm not sure…I remember you…along with Radarr, too! But I don't remember any of those people you were talking about before…"

"Ha! I _knew _it wouldn't work," Parm said in a told-you-so manner.

The two teens looked at him. "But it did," Aerrow replied.

"Oh, I wish I just brought another one of these along…hey, I wonder if I could put together another one from that draconium stuff I read about!"

Parm and Aerrow looked at each other. "_Read_ about? You mean you've never seen draconium before?"

Piper shook her head.

Parm looked her over quizzically. "You're not from here, are you?"

"Not even close."

Aerrow quickly intervened before they could get off track. "You said that you might be able to make a crystal thing from draconium, right? I know someone who might be able to help you. His name is Aetos and-"

"Aetos?! Aerrow, are you _mad!?_ That's a dragon priest we're talking about! We can't take _her,_" he pointed towards Piper, "there, not for some simple—"

"Parm! Listen! I can take her there; I _am_ the priest's trainee, aren't I? If I take her down there, and she _does _fix that crystal, I can get my memory back! You may have not lost your memory before, Parm, but I have to say: having déjà vu twenty-four seven is _not_ fun." Parm was about to interrupt once more, but Aerrow quickly added, "Please, Parm. Just let me take her down there."

The other teen sighed. "Fine. But be careful!"

"Don't worry, already."

With that, Aerrow and Piper mounted Raiden, and they set off for the Grey Temple once more.

--

There we have it! Please R and R!

Oh, and so sorry for the wait!!


	11. Chapter 11

I have nothing to say here

I have nothing to say here. Go on, get! Read already!

--

Raiden huffed as he ran across the barren landscape of the Wastelands of Loan, Piper and Aerrow on his back.

"Where are we going?" Piper asked curiously.

Aerrow grinned back at her. "To the Grey temple."

"The what?"

"You'll see."

The three continued forward until they came upon the grey, crumbling tower of the Grey Temple. "Here we are," the red-head stated as he pulled Raiden to a stop. He magged off, and so did Piper.

She looked around at the tower nervously as they walked in. "Are you sure? I hate to sound like a merb but—"

"A what?"

"A merb."

Aerrow looked at her blankly. "Should I know what that is?"

"Oh, right…never mind. Anyway, I don't mean to sound _paranoid_, but this place looks like it can crash down any moment now."

"It's perfectly safe, don't worry. I've been in here before and Raiden and I got out perfectly fine." Raiden gave a disagreeing snort. "Alright, _somewhat_ fine."

Piper just shrugged it off. There was a silence between the two as they walked down the narrow route into the temple. "Hey Aerrow?"

"Hm?"

"What happened while you where here? Like…after you lost your memory?"

"Well…a lot, I suppose. It's kind of a long story."

"It's not like we don't have time. It looks like a long passage."

Aerrow nodded in agreement. "Well…" he started. He continued explaining what had happened since he had found himself in Dragon City, including how he met the Penn Crew, his visit to Aetos, the dragon priest, and even his training with the priest. "He taught me a lot. Even mag claw!"

"What's mag claw?"

"A fighting style that only boosters can use. It's where the wielder can use the mag power from their dragon in mag bolts of their own. It's pretty cool if you ask me," Aerrow grinned.

He finished up explaining what had happened since then. Another silence ensued. "Wow," was all Piper managed to say after hearing all the great (and some ridiculous) things Aerrow had done, just within half a year. _Even in a whole other world,_ she thought to herself, _he's still destined to be a hero._

She was shaken out of her thinking as they entered a huge domed room, a pile of ruble in the middle. She couldn't help but smile. "Something tells me _you_ did that?"

He and Raiden grinned sheepishly. "Well, on _accident_…"

Quickly, a shadow whirred past them. "What was that?" Piper asked, more curios than scared.

Aerrow just smirked. "Hey Aetos."

The shadow whirred by again, then the dragon priest appeared in front of them. "You've gotten smarter, it seems," Aetos laughed. His expression gave a sudden change as he saw Piper. "Who's your friend?" he asked, a bit darkly.

"Um…this is Piper."

"I see…would you mind if I spoke with her--alone?"

The two teens exchanged glances. Aerrow and Raiden stepped out of the domed room and into the passageway.

--

"Come on, Cain! Hurry up!" Moordryd called quietly to his "buddy".

Cain urged his dragon forward and rode up beside the teen. "Are you sure your dad won't…_kill_ us for taking this?"

"Relax. He won't even know it's gone. Now let's just get that thing up and working."

Cain nodded back at him.

Moordryd gave an evil grin. "When this new controller is going, the Boosters won't even know what hit them…especially that Sky Booster!"

--

Piper looked at Aetos a bit nervously.

"Piper? Is that really you?"

"Um…yes…why? Do I know you?"

"Yes, you do. Well, _did_ in your mind."

"Wait...what?"

"You most likely think I'm dead."

"But I don't even know you—"

"Ah, but don't you?" Aetos asked.

Piper looked at him more, scrutinizing every detail, but she still didn't find anything recognizable. Before she could say anything, Aetos took off a small pendent from his neck, and with a bright flash of light, his 'priest' disguise was switched with his normal look.

Piper's expression could only be classified as complete and total shock. "You—you're..."

--

"Come on, Finn! Blast those carriers down!" Starling called out over the sound of canon shots and weapon fire.

The Storm Hawks had been fine hiding out on the terra while Piper was inside the portal, but they _knew_ they would be found eventually.

They were right.

"I'm trying, Starling! It's harder than it looks, man!" the blond yelled back.

Another blast rocked the ship as Talon fire rained down. The Condor groaned under the force of the battle.

Stork's eye twitched as he swerved the massive bird around the bolts. He laughed nervously as he did so.

Suddenly, the ship veered strongly to the right, almost to the point where it was completely on its side. The crew inside it gasped as it did.

"That's it!" Starling yelled, then looked towards Finn. "Come on, we have to get out there and get these cyclonians" –she said the word with venom in her voice- "off our tail!"

The sharpshooter nodded, his expression changed from hopeless to stubborn.

The two raced toward the garage, but immediately found out they were too late as a figure blocked their way.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" Dark Ace sneered as he proudly strode up to them. Almost a whole crew of Talons grinned maliciously behind him, their weapons out and at the ready.

--

Aerrow sighed as he walked down the hallway with Raiden at his side.

"What do you think they're talking about?"

A shrug from Raiden.

The pair continued walking down the small passage.

Suddenly, a dark purple blast erupted from the darkness barreling the two figures over. A laugh echoed behind it.

The olive coloured dragon pounced to his feet, growling ferociously at the shadowed all in front of them.

Aerrow ducked as another shot whizzed past, just over his head.

"Raiden," he said quietly but urgently, "get back to Aetos and Piper and warn them that there's someone here; someone defiantly _not_ on our side."

His mount did as told and catapulted back towards the sanctuary, his racing skills kicking in.

Aerrow whipped out his staves and deflected yet another blast. He jumped back and hid amongst the shadows, hoping fervently that whatever was firing at him wasn't coming any closer.

He ripped his pendant out of its case-like structure and slapped it into his brace. A familiar grey glow surrounded him as his racing gear was replaced with his metal Booster armor. His hair turned a snowy white and his eyes an icy blue once more.

He stepped back out into the hallway to face whatever was out there.

He mentally grimaced as he saw who it was: the Shadow Booster with a group of huge black dragons behind him.

--

Please R and R!


	12. Chapter 12

--

Yay! Chapter 12!

Remember, this was written by BOTH me _and_ Tempest Hawk!

Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own Storm Hawks; same with Dragon Booster.

--

Piper couldn't believe her eyes as she gazed at the red-haired man before her.

"Leo?" she asked quietly. It was almost a whisper. "You—you're…"

"Alive," he finished for her.

"Um, yeah," she responded with her mouth open in awe.

He chuckled. "So I see you and my son are still side-by-side, huh?"

Piper could only give a slight nod.

Before the pair could say anything more, Raiden burst through into sanctuary, huffing. He caught the eye of both Piper and Leo, and then pointed his snout in the direction of the hall. Faint blasts and grunts could be heard echoing down.

"The Shadow Booster…" Leo muttered, then looked at Piper. "Go. Help him. I have to fetch something."

Without any questions, the girl nodded and magged onto Raiden. The two bolted down the hallway, preparing for whatever laid ahead.

--

Aerrow hit the wall with a grunt as he was hit by yet another purple mag blast. He quickly lifted himself back off of the ground and faced the Shadow Booster once more.

"Oh please, Sky Boo-boo. You may have _some_ threat when the Dragon Booster is at your side, but face it; you're no match for me without anyone to hold you up," the Shadow Booster sneered at the teen.

He reached into the saddle of his black-boned dragon and held up what looked to be a controller of some sort. The ten wraith dragons behind him set their attention towards it. "You see, _loser_, these dragons have a new, more powerful gear with only one purpose: to seek and destroy grey energy." The Booster's twisted grin grew wider. "And guess what, that would include _you_."

His finger pushed down on one of the many small buttons that the remote adorned. The beasts behind him roared and set forth after a pale Aerrow, who just managed to dodge out of the way of the stampeding crew.

Before any other blows could be exchanged, Piper and Raiden burst through, plowing over a few wraiths and scaring the ever-living life out of the two fighting teens.

"Piper!" Aerrow called in relief.

The girl smiled at him and extended out her staff. Raiden dismounted her and shot a mag burst at one of the dragons. It flew back into the wall, but it then got right back up and charged at them. The rest of the dragons followed the action.

Piper and Raiden set forth after the dragons as Aerrow jumped towards the Shadow Booster, his duel-sticks out and poised. The Shadow Booster matched his blow as he jumped off of his dragon and met the teen whilst still in the air. The two pulled away and landed, both perfectly maneuvering back onto their feet. Within the blink of an eye, the enemies were in combat once more, pushing against each others' mag sticks, each trying to out-strength the other.

Aerrow, however, had to break the contest as he narrowly dodged a purple mag blast from one of the wraith dragons. As more came at him, he thought quickly on his feet. The teen lit up as an idea hit him. He angled one of his small staves just so, diverting multiple mag blasts at the Shadow Booster instead of himself.

The dark teen quickly jumped out of the way, the mag blasts missing him by mere centimeters.

"Nice try, Sky Booster. But it'll take more than _that_ to get me!"

The Shadow Booster went at him once more, staves clashing this way and that. Slowly but surely, the Shadow Booster was forcing the other teen backwards, and towards the entrance of the temple. Noticing this, the Shadow Booster gave a malicious grin as he quickly formed a new plan.

--

Piper and Raiden knocked dragon after dragon down. The only problem was that they wouldn't _stay_ down. Her head snapped up as she heard a cry from Aerrow. Looking over at him, her face went pale. He was loosing; that was defiantly clear. She looked back at Raiden.

"Raiden, go help him!" she called out to the dragon. He quickly obliged and plowed through the group, running into as many wraiths as he could on his way to rescue his rider.

--

Aerrow once again sliced towards the Shadow Booster, but the teen was starting to loose his strength. With every blow he sent towards the other Booster, he received twice as much back. He was sent to the ground with a grunt as the Shadow Booster sent a mag claw blast at him. But before the Shadow Booster could do anything more, the dark teen was sent flying as a grey blast hit him.

Aerrow looked up and smiled as he saw who it was. Raiden nuzzled the teen back up as the teen patted him on the head. "Good dragon," he muttered, exhausted.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake as a huge purple-black mag blast hit the temple entrance in front of them. A landslide of debris came crashing down, and before they could run, it pinned them both down.

--

Piper's heart began to race as she saw the scene before her. The entrance had collapsed, partly burying both Aerrow and Raiden beneath its rubble, and also trapping her inside.

To her surprise, and also to her relief, the wraith dragons stopped attacking. They seemed disoriented, all of them trotting around in a daze. The gear atop there foreheads fell off, letting the dragons' bodies revert back to their original color.

_The debris that fell must be blocking the signal, _she thought to herself. _That means that they're back to normal! _

Her relieved feeling didn't last long, though, as she remembered that her best friend was now immobile and unable to fight back against the Shadow Booster. The girl ran over to the fallen entrance and start removing as much stone as she could, hoping that the slim chance of getting all the way through was possible. "Come on," she muttered through her teeth as she pulled out more and more stones.

"Maybe you should let us do that."

Piper jumped at the voice, then slowly turned around. She gasped at the gigantic form standing in front of her, but as soon as she realized who it was, she couldn't help but smile.

--

Aerrow struggled to get free of the stone that pinned most of his body down. His attempt was in vain, though, seeing as the small amount of energy he had left was definitely not enough to free himself.

The Shadow Booster gave a low snicker at the other teen. "Well, well. Guess you loose, Sky Booster." He sauntered up to him, a ball of energy forming in his hand. "Any last words?"

The Sky Booster simply stared at him, his eyes full of anger. This made the Shadow Booster grin even more. He raised his hand, preparing to send the mag claw move straight into Aerrow. "Well then, good-bye, Sky Brat." He sent the energy down and it hit…a huge paw.

The Shadow Booster stepped back, gaping at the huge form that had saved his adversary.

The figure simply smirked.

--

Please R and R! : D

Again, many thanks to Tempest Hawk!


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry it took me so long…

Anywho, this is chapter 13. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Storm Hawks or Dragon Booster.

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Both boosters –their dragons too- gaped at the figure.

"…Aetos?" Aerrow asked, his gape slowly transforming into his signature grin despite his dangerous situation.

Aetos grinned back, his smile practically the same as his oblivious son's. "Thought old Tempest here," he patted the giant dragon he was astride, "would like to get out for a little while; you know, maybe smash a few Shadow Boosters here and there…" He looked directly at the said booster as he spoke the latter.

Tempest, as Aetos had named him, was a huge, skeletal, four pawed dragon. In many ways, he resembled the giant dragon Libris. Tempest's eyes glowed a soft blue that could practically bore into anyone's soul.

Before the gigantic dragon could do anything to the Shadow Booster, however, the evil teen whipped out the device he had been planning to use on Aerrow and lunged at Tempest with it. The controller emitted a continuous stream of dark energy which hit the dragon straight on.

The Shadow Booster laughed. "Ha, not so great now that power's being drained, now are you?" he yelled.

Tempest tilted his head, obviously not feeling a thing of the device's effect. The Shadow Booster's sneer turned into a scared frown as the controller he held started to buzz with grey energy. Before he knew it, the gadget had gotten overwhelmed with the great amount of grey energy that Tempest had within him and exploded.

Piper, Aerrow, and Aetos all couldn't resist a snicker. "Ha, not so great now that your controller is dead, now are you?" Piper mimicked.

The Shadow Booster quickly magged himself onto his dark dragon and looked back at the group. "Next time, Sky Booster!!" he yelled before he and his dragon disappeared back into the wastelands of Loan.

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"Well, that was easier than expected," Aerrow said after getting dug out of the rubble. He brushed himself off and took the medallion out of his grey brace, thus morphing back into his normal appearance.

Piper nodded. "Well, for us anyway. _You're _the one that got partially buried under jagged pieces of rock, was almost hit with a powerful shadow bolt that could probably take down any dragon, and almost got drained of life from that controller thing that the Shadow Booster had."

"…Well…yeah…but we still won."

Piper giggled at his response. "True."

The trio gradually made their way back into Dragon City; they couldn't exactly go back to the temple at that moment, seeing as how the entrance was destroyed. Aetos had somehow coaxed Tempest into shrinking down into the size of a normal dragon and to change his look. He now took on the form of a common blue drake, his rider also transformed into more of a normal appearance. This brought on much less attention than what a gigantic dragon skeleton with a dragon priest atop it would have brought.

They crew trotted into the Penn Stables, met by Artha and Kitt.

"Where have you guys been?" Artha asked, as if he had been worried about them. "Parm said that you went to the temple. You've been gone for hours now!"

Aerrow shrugged. "We had a little run-in with the Shadow Booster, but we kicked his tail all the way back to…well, back to where ever he came from," he smirked.

Kitt shook her head. She muttered something about 'boys and their fights' and walked back into the stables.

"So you're all okay, then?" Parm asked, walking out to meet them.

"We're fine, Parmesan."

The teen scoffed at the nickname that had been deemed onto him, but shrugged it off. "Were you able to fix that rock contraption?"

"Not yet," Piper replied, "but we're working on it."

Aetos nodded in agreement. "We have to find some working draconium yet, also."

"Well, I suppose you can use some of the draconium I gathered earlier. It's not perfectly pure, but it should work." He motioned for them to follow him. The two magged off and did so, but Aerrow stayed behind with Raiden.

"I'll be in the stables; Raiden needs some tending too. I probably wouldn't be any help anyway," he called to them, and led Raiden into the stables. Sunstrider and Tempest trotted over to an empty stable and settled themselves down, both dragons exhausted from the earlier battle; well, Sunstrider was.

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A spark emitted from the pinkish coloured crystal as Piper carefully attempted to fuse a piece of red draconium into it. It glowed for a moment, but died back down. She sighed in frustration.

"Maybe blue draconium would work better?" Aetos suggested. "It works considerably well for transferring currents."

Looking over the pile that Parm had lent to her, she carefully sorted through them, looking for an azure shard. "So Leo," she started. The said person looked over at her in response. "What exactly happened? How'd you get here?"

Leo looked back down at the fairly big pile of draconium shards and gave a hefty sigh. "It's a fairly long story."

"And we have a fairly long time," Piper replied. "Please? I've been dying to know."

"Very well then," Leo put down the small shard of red draconium he had in his hand, and looked at the small group. "I assume you know the Atmosian version of my squadron's story?"

Piper nodded. "Yes, I read that one of your own betrayed you and the rest of your crew in the middle of the biggest battle in Atmosian history. The book said that the traitor most likely did it for the fame and glory he was offered to by Cyclonia, but I've heard that there was some 'underlying tension' between him and the crew."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed," he simply said.

"So which was it? The fortune or the anger?" Parm asked. Though he knew just about nothing of this "Atmosia", their conversation intrigued him.

"Both. Ace was pretty fascinated by Cyclonia--"

"Wait, what?!" Piper cut him off. "Ace? _Ace? _As in…the _Dark_ Ace?!" She practically shouted, her voice becoming higher with disbelief.

"'The Dark Ace'?" Leo snorted at the name. "Well, when I knew him, he was just Ace. Though deeming himself with that sort of title sounds like him."

Piper simply shook her head in shock. "How could you let someone like _that_ onto your team?"

"He seemed innocent enough at the time." Leo shrugged. "Anyway, Ace," he paused, "or the _Dark Ace_," he chuckled and shook his head, but continued, "always was kind of a secretive kid. We all just thought he was shy or something of the like. It turned out he was harboring both the feeling of jealousy, and of greed. And you know how _that_ turned out."

Piper nodded. "He betrayed you all."

"Yes. He attacked me from behind, and pushed me off my skimmer. I hadn't had a parachute that day, seeing as I was planning on entering the palace, not dog-fighting outside."

"And you ended up on the terra that portal was on…" Piper thought out loud.

"I found the town, and hoped that maybe someone was there who could help me; Ace really did wound me a bit. Anyway, instead of finding someone, I stumbled across that Gate. Somehow, I set it off, and ended up here. The Grey Dragon Priests of Loan cared for me, and molded me into one of them. And ever since, I've been here," Leo finished. He shook his head in disdain. "I dreaded that Ace had killed my family, so I decided not to go back; I didn't want to confirm my fear. Imagine my surprise when I found my son here."

Piper nodded, wide-eyed. That _must_ have been pretty shocking, to see your son after ten years, in a whole other…well, a whole other dimension.

The piece of blue draconium she had been attempting to fuse in the crystal suddenly gave a spark. The navigator's eyes lit up as she saw the crystal once again begin pulse. But to her frustration, it died once more. She groaned and stretched her neck, looking at the ceiling. She heard Leo sigh in disappointment. She glanced back around the room, as if searching for an answer in the clutter of the place.

A piece of draconium caught her eye. It wasn't in the pile that Parm had given them, but sitting on a small table in the back of the gear room they were in. It was a translucent white, almost like a diamond. "What about that piece? I read that white draconium can fuse into any type of draconium. If anything would work, that would."

Parm looked up at her, at the draconium lump, then back at her. "But that's my last piece," he protested. "We were going to use it for repairing some of Beau's gear."

"Please?" Piper pleaded, doing her best impression of the puppy-dog pout.

Parm crossed his arms and seemed defiant for a moment, but he then looked away. "Fine."

Piper smiled and practically skipped over to the piece. She chipped it off into different pieces –causing Parm to flinch at the rare substance being crushed down like such- and molded each into the cracks that webbed throughout the damaged Recollection Stone. She took out a small multi-tool crystal device and fused the draconium into it, glad she thought of every scenario when she first packed for her expedition. Piper gasped as the crystal sparked and began to glow. They waited a moment to see if it was going to die out once more, but the crystal continued its lively shine. "Yes!" She praised. She suddenly hugged Parm, who struggled to get out of her tight grasp. "Thank you so much, Parm!"

"Er...yes, my pleasure…can you get off of me now?!"

Piper laughed nervously and did so. She grabbed the crystal and shot out the door, calling back to the two "Come on!" They looked at each other, shrugged, and followed the crystal specialist.

--------------------------------------------

"Aerrow! We fixed it!" Piper called out as she all but danced into the stable.

The red-head looked up from patching one of Raiden's paws and smiled. "Great!"

"So…want to try it out?"

His smile faltered. "Um...y-yeah, sure."

Piper was taken aback at the amount of nervousness in his voice. It wasn't much, but you could definitely tell it was there. "Don't worry, you'll be fine," she reassured him.

The Sky Knight stood up, and faced the crystal. Piper held it up in front of his evergreen eyes, and activated it. It began to glow brightly, at a steady, slow pace.

Suddenly, Aerrow's memories flooded into his head, almost painfully. _Junko… Finn… Stork… Atmos… Almost becoming official… Stopping Cyclonis… Starling… Dark Ace…Ravess… Snipe… Terra Gale… Dove… Harrier and the Rex Guardians…Surviving the Black Gorge… The Absolute Zeros… Finn, the Domo… Fending off the Murk Raiders… Babysitting Tynki… _

He was only vaguely aware of the two others finally reaching them as his memories continued to pulsate into his mind, the crystal pulsating with them.

_Escaping Zartacla… The Oracle… The Leviathan… The Great Expanse… Arygyn… The Mega Mighty Warrior Championship…Being framed… Reaching the Stratosphere… Lugey on board the Condor…Perry… Were-Finn…Carver… The fight… The portal…_

The crystal dimmed, though not completely, as his memories reached the present. He stumbled back and his hand flew to his forehead. "Woa…" he muttered.

"So…Did it work?" Piper asked hopefully.

"Yeah…At least, I think it did…" He opened his eyes back up, letting them adjust to the light of dusk once more.

"What's the last thing you remember?" The crystal specialist asked, wanting to be sure it really _did_ work.

Aerrow thought for a moment. "The fight with Dark Ace." Suddenly, his face paled. "Is everyone alright? What happened afterward?" he asked worriedly.

"What do you think? We chased their talon tails right back to Cyclonia." Piper said with a relieved smile.

"Where's everyone now?"

"Back at the portal entrance, waiting for us. Though they may have moved to a nearby terra instead, by now."

Aerrow nodded. The girl could already see his leadership returning, and smiled. Her Sky Knight was finally back.

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A dark chuckle emitted from the Dark Ace's throat as he stared joyously at his captives. They glared defiantly back, a rope around each of their wrists restricting them from tearing him to shreds.

"Well, well. What poetic irony." He looked at all of the Storm Hawks, smirking. "Here is where the original Storm Hawks fell, and here is where the new ones will fall. All by my hand." He brandished his sword and, in a flash, had it ignited and under Starling's throat. "And a bonus Interceptor is definitely a plus." His evil grin spread further.

The sky knight didn't say a word. Her olive-coloured orbs just glared stubbornly back up to him.

He aimed his glowing, blood red blade at them. "Good-bye, pests!"

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WOW that took a long time to write! So sorry!

Hope you enjoyed it, and please, R & R!


	14. Chapter 14

Whoo, here we go! Chapter 14, enjoy!

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Artha gave out a sigh at the conversation that the group had just had. With Aerrow's memory back, they had decided to send he and Piper back to the Atmosian realm. It's where they belonged, as Kitt had pointed out. Leo decided to stay where he was, seeing as if he came back, if would cause a whole lot of confusion; a long-lost hero miraculously coming back from the "dead"? That probably wouldn't work.

Sunstrider and Raiden would stay here, though Artha – along with Leo - had convinced Aerrow to take his Sky Booster amulet and brace along with him, as long as he promised to return when Dragon City needed his help; when they ended the fight that had been plaguing the place for decades.

"Hey you two, are you almost ready to leave?"

Kitt's questioning broke Artha out of his revelries, and he stood up.

"Yeah, we're all packed." Aerrow walked out with a small bag slung over his shoulder, Piper in tow. "Jeeze, it almost sounds like you're trying to get rid of us!" Aerrow added with mock-hurt.

Kitt just laughed in return. "Well, Piper, you said you had something that could return you both back to…er…wherever you came from?"

Piper nodded and took out a small metallic plate, a crystal embedded inside it. "Resile crystal. It _should _return Aerrow and I back to the other side of the Gate. We just have to find where the gate on _this _side is."

The group was silent. Finally, Parm spoke up. "You _do_ know where that is, correct?"

Piper smirked inwardly at her good thinking. "Yes, I do know, Parm. I marked it with a flag when I came here."

Everyone visibly relaxed, relieved.

Artha gazed at the two, a hint of sadness in his voice as he spoke. "Well, I suppose we should get you two back, huh?"

With a small nod from Piper, the crew mounted up onto their dragons, and headed out.

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The Dark Ace chuckled at his captured enemies, and aimed his double-bladed sword at the group. Just because that punk _kid_ wasn't there, didn't mean he couldn't enjoy this victory.

Before he could fire, however, something grappled onto his head, growling.

"Radarr!" Finn called out, relieved.

The thing scrambled around, biting at the Dark Ace's face. He yelled with rage and ripped the thing off. "You!" he growled. He quickly threw Radarr across the room, and the sky monkey fell to the ground. A gasp emitted from the Hawks as the thing went limp.

The Dark Ace laughed, his sadistic smile returning. He looked at the group, blazing red sword raised. "Now, where were we?"

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"Well, here we are. This is that flag you were talking about, right?" Artha asked, looking at Piper.

The girl nodded and magged off of Sunstrider. She walked over to the orange, patched-up flag and plucked it out of the ground. "I guess this is our stop," she muttered, almost hesitantly. Her time here had caused her to grow quite attached to her new friends, Sunstrider included. But she new she had to leave them there. Aerrow was feeling the small sting of loosing his newfound friends, as well.

Before she let her thoughts stray, she shoved the flag in her pack and took out the crystal. She tossed it from hand to hand for a moment, as if contemplating, but set it on the ground before anyone could see. "Well, read to go?"

Aerrow sighed, his eyes saddening. "Yeah, I guess." He magged off of Raiden, then turned to the group behind him. "Been nice knowin' you guys." Kitt shot him a look. "Er, and girl," the red-head added quickly. The group lightly laughed.

He pat Raiden on the head one last time. The grey dragon nudged him away, acting as if he didn't care that the teen was leaving, but Aerrow could tell that even Raiden would miss him.

The sky knight walked up beside Piper as she carefully activated the crystal. It began to glow. A bright, yellow light emitted from it, and a gate began to appear.

The two teens looked back at the group behind them once more.

"So, you promise to come back when we call?" Artha asked carefully.

"Yeah, of course," Aerrow replied, surprised that the teen doubted his promise. "But, how will I know when you guys need me?"

This time Leo answered. "You'll know."

Deciding not to press the matter further, Aerrow simply waved, a solemn action. Piper took a breath, said her good-byes, then stepped into the Gate, her red-headed best friend at her side.

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Whew, that took a while….Anyhoozen, the next chapter should be up pretty quick. –tear- It's so close to ending!

Please press the pretty Review button below! 8D


	15. Chapter 15: FINALE

Hey, hey, hey! Chapter 15!

You know the drill, enjoy!

I don't own Storm Hawks or Dragon Booster.

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Piper and Aerrow stepped out to the other side of the Gate, and for the first time in what seemed like ages, they felt Atmosian ground beneath their feet, and saw the familiar towers of land that rose from the Wastelands around them. Piper shut her eyes, took in a deep breath of air, and then slowly let it out. Her amber eyes opened a moment later, however, as she realized the Condor wasn't there.

Aerrow looked to have the same line of thought as he gazed around the clouded sky, hoping to see the hulking ship they called home. He finally spotted it hovering above a small islanded terra to the north of them. However, he felt his body go rigid as he saw Talons – _many_ Talons – surrounding the thing. They weren't attacking it, which made him even more anxious to know what was going on.

Piper, having seen it also, clambered onto her heliscooter, which had miraculously stayed untouched near the gate. She motioned for Aerrow to hop on behind her, which he did. The pair silently flew up to the Condor, trying to asses the situation.

Looking back at Aerrow and bringing a finger to her lips, she signaled to keep quiet and flew to the window. What they saw made whatever hope they had left plummet. Their friends – Starling included – were tied up and sitting back-to-back, the Dark Ace standing over them with sword ignited. Radarr was lying limp near a wall on the other side of the room, making Aerrow fear the worst.

Without consulting his friend, the red-head pulled out both his brace and amulet, and put the two in place. He silently transformed into the Sky Booster, much to Piper's surprise – and a bit to his as well; the thought that the armour might not work in another dimension had entered his mind more than once. He quickly jumped off the ride, and, using his gained power, he jumped to the roof of the Condor. Quietly landing, the now-white-haired teen signaled for Piper to follow him. The tactician quickly complied and landed her heliscooter suit.

Without a sound, the two carefully crept into the ship, luckily unnoticed by any Talons.

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"Now, to finally finish off you little brats." The Dark Ace brought his sword up once more, already relishing his win. He let the sword drop down, releasing its energy in one, huge blast.

However, it didn't hit his intended target.

A bright blast of grey intercepted it before it could hit Starling and the remaining Storm Hawks, averting it to the wall. Looking at the ashy blast mark that now adorned the paneling, the Dark Ace snarled. "Now what?!" He whipped around, only to find that _girl_ and some guy clad in gray and blue armour. _Can't those incompetent Talons fend of _any_ intruders?! _He thought angrily to himself. He could hear his captors give out sighs of relief.

"Piper!" Junko called joyously. "You're back!"

"Just in time, it looks like. Jeeze, can't you guys fend for yourselves for just a _couple _of days?" she asked jokingly. Aerrow – thought the crew didn't know it was him – smirked.

"Enough!" the Dark Ace roared. Within a flash, he charged at Aerrow. The teen was prepared, however, and easily parried his blow.

The two clashed weapons once more, and began a practical fight of strength as each tried to push the other away. "Piper," Aerrow called, "free the others. I got _him_!" With that, Aerrow gave a strong push and forced the Dark Ace further away from the group.

The Cyclonian commander grunted as he blocked another swipe from the disguised-teen's staves. Aerrow continued to attack, determined to keep his team safe.

Piper rushed over to the tied up group, confident that Aerrow had it handled. She untied Starling first, who proceeded to help untie the rest. The group stretched their legs and looked towards the three bewildered Talons that were supposed to be guarding them. The Cyclonians gulped. Stepping up towards them fearlessly, Piper swiftly hit one of them on the top of their head, rendering him unconscious. The two others looked at each other, looked at the Storm Hawks, then looked at the window. The Storm Hawks watched the two men jump out the window, and slowly glide down into the Wastelands with parachutes open.

With the Talons taken care of for the moment, Piper rushed over to the wall and knelt down near Radarr. She nudged him a small bit, hoping he'd wake up. He did.

The little sky monkey gave out a small churr while shakily standing up. He looked up at Piper, smiled, and gave her a thumbs-up to show he was alright.

The girl sighed in relief, then looked towards the only other fight going on with curiosity.

"Who is _he_?" Finn asked, pointing a finger in Aerrow's direction.

"You don't recognize him?" Piper asked, a bit of amusement in her voice.

"Should we?" Starling cut in. "And where's Aerrow?"

Piper just stared at the group. Could they seriously not put two-and-two together?

"Wait a minute…" Stork started, his eye twitching. "Is _that _Aerrow?"

Piper couldn't help but smile. Finally _someone_ got it. "Yeah, that's Aerrow."

The crew gaped. "What?....How?"

"Kind of a long story."

The five couldn't help but stare at Aerrow, including Radarr.

Finn let out a small, almost nervous laugh. "Huh." They turned back to the fight.

The Dark Ace snarled at his adversary, his strength leaving him. He had to make a decision. Either fight or flight, all up to him. He could see that the Talons he brought with him into the Condor had either been knocked unconscious or jumped ship. He let out a quiet, frustrated sigh.

He straightened up, and looked his opponent in the eye. "Next time, kid, I'll get you." With those words, he whipped out a small, violet crystal, set it off, and disappeared without a trace. The Talons outside the ship, having seen their Commander escape, turned tail and fled back to Cylconia.

Aerrow turned to them, though still in his armor. "Uh, Stork? Maybe you should get us out of here? You know, before more Cyclonians come?"

Stork's ears pricked in realization. His friend had a point. The merb quickly scampered over to the controls and put the ship in full gear, getting his beloved – and his friends – back to safety.

Aerrow removed his amulet and shifted back to his former look. He looked up at his crew and smiled. It felt like it had been _ages_ since he had last saw them.

His sharpshooter came over to his side and slapped him on the back. "Nice to have 'ya back, dude!" He heard the others agree, relieved.

"So, what's with the suit thing?" Junko asked, pointing at the brace on Aerrow's arm.

Aerrow half-heartedly smiled. "A story for another time, trust me." They laughed at the answer.

With that, the Condor sailed off into the sunset, her crew finally back together.

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"So, you say you can help us?" Master Cyclonis asked, her dark eyes flitting around her desk, multiple designs and papers scattered on it.

A voice replied through an odd crystal, the man she was talking to appearing on the face of it. "Yes. We have many supplies and weapons that could help you obtain your goal. They come at a price, of course."

"Of course," the teen leader replied. "You help me, I help you. Simple as that, correct?"

"Yes, Master Cyclonis. Do you agree to those terms?"

"I most certainly do." Her purple eyes looked up towards the wall, a wicked smile threatening to come onto her face. "Let it begin, Word Paynn."

"Let it begin," he answered back, smiling.

-END-

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Yup, that's the end. For now, at least…

Please review! Please please please :D

Again, thank you to Tempest Hawk, my plot writer, and all the wonderful people who have reviewed! Cookies to all!


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